High School DxD: Legacy of Kings
by ShadowFuh
Summary: Inspired by Arrow: After five years in hell, Hyoudou Ryusei returns to Kuoh with a vengeance. While his brother, Issei, and his new sister, Asia, accommodate him back into society, he spends his nights hunting down the important figureheads in the supernatural underground. As he struggles to juggle his duties and relationships, Ryusei learns he's also being hunted by something else
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note - So this a new story idea based off of Arrow. It's going to incorporate flashbacks in every chapter and I'm still working out the plot in the head so I don't know where this is going to go. Let me know if you guys think it's something you guys would wanna read, I guess this is just a test chapter. Anyways, I hope you guys like it :)**

**1**

_Present Day…_

Issei sat nervously in the waiting room of Kuoh Central Hospital. Night had fallen just two hours ago, just around the time he had arrived. His heart, despite having sat perfectly still for so long, was still racing a million beats a minute as he anxiously waited for the doctors to come to them.

He looked at his hands only to see them tremble and shake. How long had it been…just how long had it been since his heart had been completely broken? Ever since that day…the day that his little brother had supposedly died on a plane headed towards New York City. When he heard from his parents what had happened, it was like time had stood perfectly still. An instant in time, where his soul had been crushed, perfectly captured in a single, unforgettable memory.

"Issei-San…"

He looked to his side to see Asia Argento. She was still dressed in her school uniform with a worried look on her face.

"Asia…what are you doing here? It's pretty late," He said.

"I…I heard what had happened from your parents," Asia said, fidgeting with her fingers. "I didn't think you should be alone…so I came to see how you were doing." She walked over and sat next to him.

He sighed. "He's been in the examination room for three hours. The doctors aren't letting anyone in there…"

"I see," Asia said. "Everyone in the club is worried about you. The prez wanted to come too, but…"

"It's okay," Issei mustered a smile. "I really appreciate you coming here, Asia, I really do."

"Of course," She smiled warmly.

Just then, he heard footsteps coming from behind him.

"Issei!"

It was his mother, and his father. They both seemed restless.

"Any updates?" His father asked.

He shook his head. He noticed that his mother had brought along a basket of food. She was probably worried sick…and his father was no better. He realized that they were in the same boat…he wasn't the only one who was worried.

"Mother, father," Asia said.

"Thank you so much for coming, Asia-Chan," His mother smiled and took her hand.

The doors to the examination room finally opened. A doctor walked out and towards them carrying a clipboard and a blank expression.

"Doctor," His mother said. "How did it go? Can we see him?"

"He's recuperating in one of our rooms right now," The doctor said. "You're allowed to visit since you're all immediate family, but I would recommend you let him rest for awhile."

"How is he…" Issei asked, his hands still shaking.

The doctor sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Physically…it's a miracle he's even alive."

Issei's heart dropped. He looked to his mother to see her covering her mouth and her knees trembling. If his father hadn't reached out to catch her, she would have fallen.

"Please…" Issei said. "Let us see him."

The doctor was against it, but he finally gave in and nodded. "Come with me."

They followed him through the hospital and up the escalator. On the second floor, in the far back room in the hallway, was his room. There was a one-way window that let them see through while the patient inside couldn't.

Issei looked in to see the hospital bed wrinkled sheets and a figure standing facing the window, looking out into the city. It was hard to believe, almost impossible, but it was really him. He was older, his body physically grown and his hair a lot longer…but it was really him. But his body…

"Oh my…" His mother began crying.

"Doctor…" His father said. "What happened…"

"Over 30% of his body is covered in scars," The doctor explained. "Bruises, cuts, stabs, burn marks, and even some improperly healed cuts on his hands. Several fractured bones, bruised ribs…like I said, it's a miracle he's still alive."

"Has he said anything?" Issei asked.

"Not a single word," The doctor said. "We tried asking him what had happened, but he wouldn't talk."

"May I go see him?" Issei asked.

"Issei, no-" His mother said.

"It's okay, mom," Issei smiled. "He's my brother, it's my job to make sure he's okay."

"Very well," The doctor said, scanning his card on the door and opening it. "Don't stay for too long, he needs his rest."

Issei nervously walked in as Asia stayed outside with his parents. Walking into that hospital room was like walking into an entirely new world. Though the air was warm, he felt completely cold and dead inside. He gulped as he reached the hospital bed.

"R…Ryusei," Issei found himself struggling to speak. "It's me…do you remember me?"

Ryusei's was shirtless, wearing only the pants issued by the hospital. He turned around slowly, but Issei finally was able to meet his brother's eyes. He looked different…physically, his face had changed. His features were much sharper, more defined, he even had a scar running from his chin to the bottom of his nose on his left cheek. His eyes were emerald green, like two jewels. His brown hair had grown out tremendously, flowing down to his shoulders and bangs covering his forehead. His eyes were beautiful…yet they seemed to void of life and meaning.

"Ryusei…" Issei said as tears filled his eyes. "Brother, it's me. It's Issei…"

"Issei," Ryusei spoke with a softened voice. "Brother." It was subtle, but a smile tugged at his lips. "Long time, hasn't it?"

Issei couldn't keep it in, and burst out crying. He ran over and embraced his little brother. He was warm, so warm. It was really him, after all this time…it was really Ryusei.

"I've missed you," Ryusei said, hugging him back. "Are mom and dad here? I wanna see them too."

Issei parted and wiped his eyes. "Yeah, one second." He looked back and signaled for his parents to come in. His parents walked into the hospital room, slowly and unsure of what to say.

"My boy…my sweet boy," His mother ran over and grabbed him, crying her eyes out on his chest. "My sweet, sweet boy."

"Mom, I'm okay," Ryusei smiled and hugged her.

"It's good to see you again," His father smiled and hugged his side, tears showing at the edge of his eyes.

"Dad…" Ryusei said, grinning as he embraced them.

"Oh, there's someone else I want you to meet," Issei walked to the door and pulled Asia in.

"Issei-San, wait-"

"Ryusei," Issei smiled. "This is Asia. She's your older sister."

"Asia…" Ryusei said. Issei was scared he wouldn't accept her, but a smile showed on his face. "It's nice to meet you."

Asia blushed and smiled. "Nice to meet you, Ryusei-Kun."

The doctor walked back in and spoke to them. "Hyoudou-Kun, how are you feeling? Would you like to stay the night?"

Ryusei shook his head. "I'm okay, doctor. I'd like to go home tonight, if it's okay with you."

"Fine by me," The doctor smiled. "You seem to be lively, now that your family's here. Once your parents sign you out, you can check out then."

"I understand," Ryusei said. "Thank you very much for your help, I really appreciate it."

**…**

The house hadn't changed one bit. Still the same two story house that he remembered growing up in. Walking inside, it was clear that even the decoration and furniture were still the same. Though as he looked around, it was clear that all the pictures that had his face in it were gone…it must have been painful for them…

"Welcome home," Issei smiled.

"Glad to be back," Ryusei grinned as he walked in.

"I'll grab your bags and put them in your room," His father said.

"No," Ryusei grabbed his suitcase before his father could touch it. "Don't worry, I can handle it myself dad. Wait, my room?"

"Yeah," His mother smiled. "We haven't changed a thing. I never had the heart to."

"I see," He closed his eyes and smiled.

"Need any help settling in?" Issei asked. "Asia and I could-"

"No it's okay," Ryusei said. "I'm kind of tired, I think I'll call it a night."

"Oh…" It was clear that his brother was disappointed. "Call me if you need anything, okay?"

Ryusei grabbed his suitcase and walked towards the stairs. "Promise."

His room hadn't changed one bit. His bed still in the corner, even his desk and cabinets were cleaned dustless. His mother must have cleaned this place often…she always was so sentimental.

He laid his suitcase on his bed and looked at it for a second. Opening it, he took a sigh of relief. He only brought a couple of things back with him, but the weight of these items felt so much heavier then he could have imagined.

Ryusei took the bracelet and looked at it. It was a black laced bracelet with an emerald center. Putting it on, he felt like he was once again taking on the burdens that he had thrown away those years ago. The only other things in the suitcase were a small journal and a small nodachi blade.

Picking up the journal, he took a look inside. Page after page of names, some were crossed off and some were stared or highlighted. Regardless, these were the names of influential figures in the supernatural world. Heads of various companies, leaders of gangs, mob bosses, even a few mercenaries and bounty hunters. This was the mission he inherited, cross off every name in this journal.

It was gonna be one hell of a job, some of these people were nowhere close to Kuoh, but he had to find a way. He was entrusted with this task from _him_. All the people who helped him along the way and the sacrifices he's made, it was all leading to this moment.

There was also something else in the case, a few stacks of talisman papers. He was gonna need this if he was going to even do anything. Getting to work, he wrote down sigils on a few of the papers before plastering them on his door. Illusion magic that masked the appearance of his room. Able to be casted from anywhere, it would make anyone who opened the door to think his room was perfectly normal. Until he finds a good enough place to serve as a base of operations, his room would have to do.

Sitting back down on his bed, Ryusei took a look at his hands. The scars that covered them always haunted his dreams, making him remember things he wished he could forget. He remembered the first time his fingers were broken, or when his wrist was bent so far back his middle finger touched his forearm.

A knock at his door. "Ryu, it's me. Can I come in?" It was Issei.

"Yeah, come in."

Opening the door, Ryusei watched as Issei walked in with a smile. He brought a cans of soda and a bag of chips.

"Ryusei-Kun," A head poked around the corner. "May I come in as well?"

It was that girl, Asia. She had her hair tied back in a ponytail and a smile on her face.

"Y-Yeah," Ryusei mustered a smile.

Ryusei moved to his desk chair while Issei took the floor and Asia on his bed. "Let's make a toast. I know mom and dad really wanted to celebrate too, but they'll get a chance tomorrow. For tonight, it's just the three of us."

"A toast?" Ryusei asked.

"To your return," Asia said. "Issei-San's told me a lot about you. I feel as though I practically know everything about you."

"He did…did he?" Ryusei gave his brother a frustrated smile. "I hope it was nothing too bad."

"No, no," Asia waved her hands. "He told me you were a smart and talented boy. You even got a scholarship to a University in America at the age of 12! That's really amazing, Ryusei-Kun!"

"It was really nothing," Ryusei scratched his head.

"Oh please," Issei laughed. "Listen to this Asia. You know Ryu is a genius? We had him take an IQ test when he was qualified for the scholarship, and he scored a 158? He's a genius!"

Blushing, Ryusei threw his can of soda at Issei's face. "Stop telling her unnecessary things you idiot!"

Ryusei paused. What did he just do? He didn't mean to lash out like that…he didn't mean to call his brother an idiot. "S-Sorry…I didn't mean it…"

"What?" Issei asked, rubbing his cheek. "What are you talking about? It's fine. I'm just happy to see you haven't changed."

He stared at his brother with wide eyes, in complete shock. "I…haven't changed?"

Issei picked up the can. "When I heard what had happened to you…where you'd been, I was scared that my brother, the brother I loved so much and had lost, was gone forever. But seeing you now, like this…" His eyes began to water. "I'm just happy you're still you, and home with us." He smiled and handed Ryusei the can, still crying.

Reluctantly, Ryusei took the can in awe.

"I know that you don't really know me, Ryusei-Kun," Asia said, fidgeting with her fingers. "But I hope you come to accept me as family. I'm always here for you if you need anything. But, I'm just not that good if you need advice on girls…you see I'm still a bit clueless about that sort of thing." Asia smiled.

Ryusei looked down at his can, his determination growing. "I…I need to tell you something, both of you."

Wiping his eyes, Issei looked up at him. "What's up?"

"It's about where I was," Ryusei said, clutching the can of soda before opening it and drinking some. "The island that we crashed landed on…was called Lian Yu. It's Mandarin, for purgatory."

Their eyes were wide, with every intent to listen. Thankfully, they didn't ask questions and just sat still to listen to him. He was grateful for that. He didn't know if he was ready to tell them everything, but he knew he had to at least tell them the summary of it all.

"Five years, felt like an eternity there," Ryusei said, trembling. "I was a scared, weak, and timid. Ever passing day felt made me regret on the things I didn't do, on the people I couldn't see anymore. The things I had to do just to survive, to live so that one day I could come back here. The people who gave up their lives for me…" He reached for his bracelet. "I'll never forget a single moment of it. Ever second that I spent on that island will be ingrained in me, for as long as I live."

"Ryu…"

"So I decided to live," Ryusei smiled. "I decided that I would live, for those who couldn't. I'll live for the people who saved me, live so that the people who wanted to hurt me will regret not killing me, live so that the memories of those I lost will never be forgotten."

Issei's hand went for his. Ryusei looked to his brother, who had a smile on his face and kind, welcoming eyes. Asia also stood up and placed her hand over theirs.

"You're not alone anymore, Ryusei-Kun," Asia said. "All the pain, all the memories, it's good that you'll never forget…but know that we're always gonna be here to share that burden with you."

"Whenever you're ready," Issei said. "We'll be here with you through it all."

Ryusei leaned back and enjoyed the next hour. They spent it talking about everything he had missed. News around the world, how Issei started high school. Apparently, the two of them were even in the same club in Kuoh Academy. Asia was a nun who came to Kuoh but got caught up in some bad business. Issei decided to take her in, and now they were living together. He was curious as to what had happened, but he didn't want to pry any further.

"It's getting late," Issei stood up and stretched. "We should be heading to bed. We have school in the morning."

"School?" Ryusei had completely forgotten it was a Sunday.

"Don't worry, you'll be a student at Kuoh Academy in a few days," Issei said. "Mom and dad are already doing the paperwork, and I have someone who's close to the Student Body President. It won't be long now."

"I see," Ryusei didn't realize how quick the events were unfolding. If he went to school, it would mean that he would have less time to do what he really needed to do. But he also had to have an alias for where he would be when the events took place…that's right, an alibi. It would be better if he could see he was at school doing homework or participating in after school sports.

Issei and Asia got up and headed for the door. "Alright, I'll see you in the morning Ryu. Good night." Issei left.

"Good night, Ryusei-" Asia said, but caught a look at his nodachi blade in the corner of his bed. "Ryusei-Kun, what's that?"

He stood up and went for it. A nodachi blade, small and compact. It was about the size of his whole forearm, still in it's scabbard. He picked it up to look at it, unsheathing it a little bit to expose to the blade.

"It was a gift, from someone very close to me," Ryusei said with deadpan eyes.

"I see…" Asia walked over to him, getting on her toes and kissing his cheek. Ryusei was completely silent, and turned to her. "Good night, little brother."

"Good…" He said as she walked for his door, waving good bye as she closed it. "Night…"

He looked at the nodachi. The blade's name was ingrained onto the blade near the hilt. He took a look at it and remembered her face. Before he knew it, a smile came across his face.

"I hope you're looking over me," Ryusei said. "I had hoped you would be here when I got home. You would have loved my parents, and my brother, and my new sister too. They're really nice and caring…Alicia."

He set the blade down next to his pillow and climbed in bed, calling it a night.

**…**

Rias Gremory sat in the Occult Research Club, looking out into the school yard and up at the shining moon. Yesterday morning, a powerful and almost otherworldly magic pressure had entered the city. Of course she alerted her brother, and had hoped some action would be taken before she had to resort to investigate it herself, but somehow she got the feeling it wouldn't be that easy. Ever since than, the magic pressure had slowly subsided, but the feeling of uncertainty still resided in her.

"Worrying isn't good for your health, Rias," Her best friend Akeno set down a cup of tea before sitting down across from her. "It'll cause you to wrinkle."

Rias's eye twitched. "I really wish you'd sugar coat your words sometime, Akeno."

"Then what good am I as your best friend?" Akeno snickered and covered her mouth. "You're worried about Issei, aren't you?"

"Five years…" She said. "I don't know how he survived five years there, but I can't imagine the person that has returned. I hope Issei and Asia are doing okay."

"I'm sure they'll be okay," Akeno said. "Those two are much more resilient then you'd imagine."

"Oh?" Rias smirked. "You seem to be awfully more caring, aren't you? When did you three get so close?"

"What could you mean?" Akeno smiled. "They're my precious underclassmen, of course I would care for them."

"Of course, of course," Rias smiled and rested her cheek on her fist. "But you sensed it too, didn't you? That powerful magic pressure, it's nothing like I've ever felt before."

"Yeah," Akeno said. "Things should be getting interesting soon, aren't they? I can't wait."

**…**

_Five Years Ago… _

_Ryusei sat in his seat, fidgeting and squirming. His heart was racing and his palms were sweaty. What should he do? Should he be helping other passengers with their stuff? Should he just pay attention to himself? He had the window seat on the plane so maybe he should just ignore it and look outside. He was so nervous, he didn't know what to do! _

_"Hey kid," A voice called to him from the center walkway. "Can you give me a hand?" _

_He turned to see a boy, around 18 with long silver hair and gray eyes. He seemed to be struggling with his carry on. Was he really that weak? He didn't know how much help he could be, but Ryusei quickly got to his feet and climbed up on the seat above the compartment and pushed the duffel bag inside and sighed. _

_"Thanks for the help," The boy smiled. "Looks like we're gonna be neighbors for awhile. Nice to meet you, I'm Merrick." _

_"R…Ryusei," He said under his breath. _

_"Merrick!" A girl's voice said from behind Merrick. "Don't go scaring the kid like that, you idiot." Merrick's head leaned forward as someone punched him from behind. _

_Ryusei saw a girl with short black hair smile and hold down Merrick's head. "Sorry for making you help out like that. He's just a no good idiot." _

_"Give me a break Alicia," Merrick rubbed his head and frowned. "I just needed help with my luggage and you were too busy getting hit on by those virgins over there that you just left me." _

_Blushing, Alicia covered her chest. "W-What are you talking about? They weren't hitting on me! I was just-" _

_Merrick put a finger up to his mouth. "Might wanna keep it down, there are other people here ya'know?" _

_Alicia blushed heavily as Ryusei noticed the people around them looking at the three with confusion. _

_"Well," Merrick looked at Ryusei. "Looks like the three of us are gonna be sitting next to each other for awhile. Hope we can get along, Ryusei-Kun." _

_"Nice to meet you, Ryusei," Alicia smiled. _

_Ryusei nodded, and sat back down on his seat. Merrick took the middle seat while Alicia took the seat closest to the walkway. _

_"By the way," Alicia said, leaning forward and turning to Ryusei. "Are you here all by yourself? Where are your parents?" _

_"I…I'm by myself," Ryusei said. "I'm going to Columbia University." _

_"What?" Merrick asked. "Are you visiting someone there?" _

_Ryusei shook his head. "I'm starting school there in the Fall. I'm a student." _

_The look on their faces were hard to decipher. Was it shock? Envy? Jealousy? Confusion? It was always the same look anytime he told someone that he was going to Columbia as a student. _

_"Y-You mean you're gonna be a student at Columbia?" Merrick asked. "How old are you exactly?" _

_"11," Ryusei said, blushing. _

_Alicia's jaw dropped to the ground as she made an awe sound from her mouth. "T-That's incredible…you must be a genius, huh Ryusei." _

_"I…I guess…" Ryusei looked down at his knees. "I just want to be a normal kid, that's all." _

_"A normal kid?" Merrick laughed. "You're an 11 year old kid going to one of the top schools in the world! You're amazing Ryusei-Kun!" _

_Ryusei looked to him. "You really think so?" _

_"Yeah!" Alicia smiled at him. "You're really something else, Ryusei." _

_A smile came across his face. Usually whenever he told someone where he was going, they would always be doubtful or even treat him like some sort of freak. The only people who treated him like a normal kid were his parents…and his brother. _

_Taking a look at Merrick, he reminded Ryusei of Issei. He had the same demeanor and some sort of…aura about him. It felt like he was sitting next to his brother, how odd… _

_"Hey," Ryusei said. "What is your relationship?" _

_"Hmm?" Merrick asked. "You mean me and Alicia?" He looked to her and back at Ryusei with a quirky smile. "I guess you can say she's my girl-" _

_Alicia punched his head down. "We're childhood friends. We've been vacationing in Japan for the past two weeks but it's time to go home." _

_"I see…" Ryusei said. _

_"Dammit that hurt you witch!" Merrick growled. _

_"It's your fault for always telling people we're dating," Alicia crossed her arms and looked away. _

_"You're the one who asked me to!" Merrick said. "In case people starting hitting on you when we're together!" _

_Ryusei looked at Alicia. He could understand why people would hit on her. She was definitely attractive. A slender figure with a shining face. Her hair was silky black down to her shoulders and her eyes an emerald green. Compared to her…his eyes were just a a dull brown. Even Merrick had cool gray eyes. Next to them, Ryusei couldn't help but feel inadequate. _

_Suddenly, he felt the plane begin to move. "Looks like we're taking off." Merrick looked to Ryusei. "Ryusei, are you alright? You don't seem so good." _

_Ryusei's stomach began to turn as his face turned gray. "I've…never been…on a plane…before…" He held his breath in order to avoid throwing up. _

_He felt a hand touch his. Was it Merrick? Ryusei didn't take Merrick to be a sentimental type like that. _

_"It's okay, Ryusei-Kun," It was Alicia. She took his hand and smiled warmly. "I'm right here with you, there's nothing to be afraid about." _

_Blushing, Ryusei found himself calming down and smiling. Slowly but surely, the plane began to go faster and faster until they were in the air. Ryusei looked out the window in awe. _

_"Onwards and upwards, to New York," Merrick smiled at him. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Guest - Thank you! I hope you like this chapter too!**

**The One True Demon Lord - It's not really a crossover since it's just inspired by the series so it won't take place in that universe. But if things go well, I might introduce characters based off of various characters in the Arrowverse. Let me know if you wanna see anyone or any character based off of someone from the Arrowverse. **

**2**

Ryusei walked downstairs the next day to see his family sitting at the dinning table. His parents were sitting together while Issei and Asia across from them. They all had their eyes on him as he walked down and towards the kitchen.

"What's wrong? Something on my face?" Ryusei asked.

"N-No, it's just you were talking in your sleep last night," Issei said with a pair of chopsticks in his mouth. "I was going to wake you up but you looked like you finally had some good sleep."

Talking in his sleep? He cursed himself. He had thought that he was past this stage already. Mustering everything inside him, Ryusei smiled. "S-Sorry, guess I was having a bad dream."

Joining his family at the table, he realizes that his brother and Asia were dressed for school. So this was the uniform for Kuoh Academy.

"Don't worry," His father says. "As of tomorrow, you're going to a first year student at Kuoh Academy too."

"A first year student?" He had forgotten that he was only sixteen. Those five years felt like an eternity. He didn't realize his mental maturity had outgrown his physical one. "I see, I can't wait." He mustered a smile.

"Ryusei," His mother says. "Are you sure you're feeling okay? Tell me if you need to go to the hospital again, okay?"

"Don't worry mom," He says, picking up his bowl of rice. "I'm fine."

"Your mother just doesn't want you to over exert yourself, that's all," His father smiles. "Speaking of which, later today we have to go the court house."

"The court house?" Asia asks. "What for?"

"Well…" His father says "Even though he's alive…legally, Ryusei's still dead. We need to go the court house so they can legally resurrect him. We'll take him to the court house around five tonight, so you two don't have to worry."

"No, it's okay," Issei said. "We'll meet you there. I think the prez wants to meet Ryu too."

"The prez?" Ryusei asked. "Who's that?"

"She's the president of the club we're in," Asia explained. "I'm sure you two will get along."

"I see," Ryusei ate his breakfast. "Actually, I was thinking about walking around the city for awhile. Do you guys mind if I go out after breakfast?"

"This early in the morning?" His mother asked. "Are you sure you'll be okay by yourself? We can go with you if you-"

"It's okay mom," Ryusei smiles. "I haven't seen the city in years, I wanna walk around and see what I missed. Don't worry I'll find my way home."

"If you really want to…" His mother says but is clearly against it.

"Just be sure to be careful, okay?" His father said. "And stay away from the south side of the city, I hear it's gotten pretty bad down there. Gangs and violence…I don't know what I'd do if…"

He didn't need to finish. Ryusei knew what he was going to say, but all the more reason Ryusei had to carry out his mission. He had to eliminate every single one of them, the sorry excuse for people in this city that's dragging it down.

"We'd better get to school, Asia," Issei stood up. "We have a meeting before school starts. I don't want to make the others wait for us."

"Y-Yes," Asia gathered her and Issei's plates. "We'll be off then, mother, father, Ryusei-Kun."

"Have fun in school you two!" His father waves them good-bye.

"Hey guys," Ryusei said as his brother and sister close the front door. "Do you feel something…off, about them?"

"Off?" His mother asked.

"What do you mean?" His father asks.

He couldn't explain it. There was a weird presence coming from them…and it didn't exactly feel human. What was this feeling…it was gnawing at him from inside but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. He had felt the presence of demons and monsters on Lian Yu, but he had never felt this before.

"It's nothing," Ryusei went back to his breakfast. "Guess it was just my imagination."

Though his parents were unconvinced, they didn't press on the matter. After breakfast, as his father left for work and his mother was in the kitchen, Ryusei changed into some street clothes before looking into the mirror. His hair had gotten so long…down his neck end even to his shoulders. Guess it was time for him to get a haircut, his first one in five years.

As he looked at himself in the mirror, his eyes caught his attention. Green as emerald, no longer the dull brown eyes he once had. Reaching for his left eye, he wondered if Alicia could see it now, see the man he had become. Would she be disappointed and what he has become? Or would she just be happy he was still be alive. He wondered how things would have changed if he had just grown a pair and done what was necessary, if only he had the courage back then.

Grabbing his nodachi and hiding it behind his waist and covered by his jacket, Ryusei went downstairs and to the door.

"I'm heading out mom," Ryusei said.

"Be safe," His mother smiled.

The city truly has changed. There were giant skyscrapers where there had been nothing but houses and shops, parks and ponds where there had been just flat lands. There were even more people then ever before, thousands of men, women, and children. Kuoh had apparently become a commercial town where people who has dreams of starting business flocked to.

As he looked around at the wonderful people, smiling and laughing and enjoying their lives, his determination deepened. He wanted, more than anything, to protect these smiles. In order for all these people to live their lives in the light, the shadows had to work harder than anyone in order to keep that peace. That was what he was taught, what he had spent years training to do. _We work in the dark, to serve the light._

"Isn't that right, Merrick?" Ryusei smiled.

He began to walk around the city, looking at shop vendors and local stores. He even visited a particular park, with a large water fountain at the center. As he stared at the pond, he felt a peculiar presence here. Such death…what happened here? There was no blood or evidence of foul play, but the stench of death loomed over this place.

Tossing the thought aside, it was time to get to work. He needed to find a suitable spot for his hideout. His first night was to recuperate, but starting today the real mission began. He made his way to the south side of the city.

It was a clear divide between the peaceful and loving north side, to the violent and blood spilled south side of Kuoh. The air reeked of alcohol and drugs, blood stains and homelessness littered the streets. The buildings were worn down and destroyed, there were hardly any people around. And when there were, it was just women selling their bodies and gang members using them. What has this city become?

"Hey kid," A voice called out behind him. "You're a far way from home. Didn't your parents teach you to stay away from this part of town?"

Ironically, they did. He turned around to see a man stooped over with a maniacal smile on his face and a knife in his hand. He was wearing tattered and worn out clothes, and he smelled as if he hadn't showered in days…weeks?

"Sorry, I was just looking around," Ryusei scratched his cheek. "I've been out of town for a long time, you see."

"I see," He smiled. "This is just not your lucky then kid." He pointed his knife at Ryusei. "Give me all your money, and whatever jewelry your have. That bracelet of yours looks expensive."

True, it was definitely priceless. "Listen sir, you really don't wanna do this. I don't-"

"You heard the man," Another voice said from behind him. More and more people gathered around him. "Hand over your money."

Ryusei sighed. "I guess this is a good way to get back in shape." He got in a low stance and reached for his nodachi. "Why don't you guys come get it from me?"

A total of seven men surrounding him. It wouldn't have been a problem, a walk in the park actually, however his intuition was right. There were eyes on him, on the rooftops of nearby. Two…no, maybe four? They must have sensed his magic pressure. It was careless of him to not suppress it, but then again this was exactly what he had hoped to do. It was time to announce his arrival.

Ryusei reached for his hood and pulled it over his head. "Come on guys," He grinned. "Try not to disappoint me."

"Why you little!" The man in front of him with the knife, charged at him and jabbed forward. Ryusei straightened his back and dodged the attack, grabbing the man's wrist and breaking it. As the man let out a scream of pain, Ryusei kneed him in the stomach and kicked him to the man behind him. The others finally all ran in.

A total of six swings was all it took. In an instant, Ryusei had drawn his nodachi and cut each single one of them deep enough to severe their arteries and sheathed his blade. The second the blade clicked in the scabbard, blood shot from the men as their bodies dropped like flies.

"W…What…are you?" One of the men was still alive and crawling towards him.

Ryusei turned to see a tattoo on his neck. It was an Oni symbol. Stooping down, Ryusei looked at the man with cold eyes. "So you're one of Garo's men. Tell me, where can I find your boss?"

"You…may have killed…me, but the boss…would never…" He flatlined before he could finish his sentence.

Ryusei sighed. Guess he cut too deep and the man lost too much blood. Scratching his head, Ryusei stood up. "Dammit, and here I thought I could kill Garo Motoyama on the first day."

He couldn't see them, but he was able to sense them. The eyes on him, four of them to be exact, on the rooftops. They must be working for different organizations. They weren't human either. He felt the presence of a vampire…a werewolf…no, there was a human here.

"Go tell your bosses," Ryusei said. "That I'm going to kill each and every one of them. No matter what they do to protect themselves, no matter where they run and hide, I'll chase them to the ends of the Earth. Go now and warn them. Tell them that the Dragon Slayer is coming for their heads."

And just like that, they scattered like bugs. The presences were gone. Stretching, Ryusei began deeper into the south side of the city. What he needed for his base was height, for where he can see the city and far enough away so that it doesn't draw attention. Something like…

Ryusei looked up at an abandoned tower just at the edge of the city. It was of average height, and the style of the building made it looked like a motel building. It was have been built to accommodate the homeless here…but abandoned perhaps due to the violence here.

Ryusei made his way into the building and climbed to the top floor. It was still in construction, or rather was. A vast and empty floor with no rooms and the ceiling was fairly tall. No walls and no doors, this was perfect. With the talisman in his room, his mom won't notice anything out of the ordinary.

He pulled out several talisman and spread them around the floor. They automatically flew to their destinations, in every corner of the floor and along every column keeping the ceiling up. With these in place, to the outside world this building will look like it's still run down.

He walked to the center of the floor and pulled out a gemstone. The amulet acted as a portal, a Gate, that linked spots marked with his talisman. As he placed it on the ground, a magic circle opened underneath him. Several crates and tables ascended from the circle. Everything he had prepared before the fishing ship found him on Lian Yu.

Taking a look inside the boxes, he found the grimoires and equipment he used back on the island. Magic stones, countless amounts of shuriken and kunai, even more talisman papers.

"Alright," Ryusei took the shishigami papers from the boxes and used his magic to activate them. A few dozen of servants, shishigami, manifested around him. "We have a few hours to set everything up. Get to work everybody, I'll help out too."

All of them nodded and began to grab a box and set everything up. Ryusei helped out by setting up target practice dummies and setting up magic stones on tables. He even used shishigami birds to fly around the city, acting as his eyes to detect strange magic anomaly. If anything happened in this city from here on out, he'd know about it.

Using a magic stone, Ryusei brought forth his uniform. Using a column as a storehouse for his uniform, Ryusei stared at it. A full body armor painted black with guards on his biceps and thighs, and a long white haori with a hood up. In place of his head, was a kabuki mask with green markings.

Ryusei was pulled back into his memories. The things he had to do in order to earn this uniform. "We work in the dark…to serve the light." Ryusei recited the creed of his brotherhood.

A shishigami ran over, carrying his sword. Picking it up, Ryusei stared at the blade that was passed down to him. The Ryujin-Ichimonji, the sword that collect souls. It was a mechanical looking blade, a curved katana with a green blade and black back.

"Alright guys," Ryusei called the shishigami. "After you're done setting up, return to the talisman. I'm off to work."

All the shishigami saluted him, before going back to work. Using the bracelet as an activator, a magic circle opened up underneath him and enveloped him. The uniform had vanished from it's case and donned his body. Pulling the hood over his head and clipping his belt on, Ryusei walked towards the edge of the floor and looked out into the city.

"Time for a warning," With a deep breath, he jumped into the sky.

**…**

After school, Issei and Asia walked together to the Occult Research Club room behind the school. He began to wonder if Ryusei would like normal every day life. Granted, his own life was far from normal, but he wanted to keep Ryusei as far away from all of this if possible. After so long…he just wanted his brother to be safe and not have to worry about anything.

"Issei-San?" Asia asked. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, just wondering what Ryu's up to," Issei smiled. "It's almost time to go the court house. I hope our meeting won't take too long."

"The prez suddenly called for a meeting," Asia said. "I wonder if everything's okay."

"I hope so," Issei swung his school bag over his shoulder.

As they entered the club room, Issei quickly realized that everything wasn't okay. Walking in, he could see everyone's faces were grim. Rias Gremory sat on her desk, facing everyone in the club. Akeno was standing next to her and smiled as Issei and Asia arrived. Koneko and Kiba were sitting by each other on the couch and looked to them.

"Issei, Asia," Rias said. "Good timing, sit. We have something to discuss."

Sitting down, Issei couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

"Two hours ago, the head of the Kuoh vampire clan was attacked," Rias explained. "Sona and her peerage are investigating the incident right now but she says that it was one person."

"One person?" Asia asked.

Issei knew about the various races that lived in town. Vampires, werewolves, fairies, fallen angels. He even knew about the organizations in Kuoh, but he still didn't clearly understand it all. He had never met any of them, but he knew how powerful they were. To think that one man marched into a highly guarded vampire den and almost killed the head of the vampires…just who was this person?

"Do we have any leads?" Kiba asked.

Rias held out a hand and materialized a kunai from a magic circle. It was a tri-tipped kunai with the middle blade longer than the others. There was a green overlay on top of it with a strange marking on it.

"We recovered this from the scene," Rias explained. "It has magic embedded into it, making it stronger and more impacted. It was thrown it incredible accuracy, piercing a vampire right in the heart."

"It was also thrown from a great distance away," Akeno said. "Judging from the angel of the attack and how far the blade dug into the heart, Sona was able to deduce how far away it was thrown from and how much force was used. Whoever attacked that den is highly skilled and incredibly dangerous."

Issei gulped. "W-What's a person like that doing in Kuoh?"

"We have absolutely no idea," Rias sighed. "It's far too early to tell. So far he's only attacked Garo. This little incident has put the rest of the supernatural community in disarray. The werewolves are urging a scouting party in order to look for the person that this."

"They might find him," Koneko said. "Their noses are incredibly useful at times like this."

"That's what I was thinking too," Rias said. "But they're also aggressive. If they get the chance, they might break the non-aggression treaty."

"So what are we going to do?" Issei asked.

"Akeno," Rias said. "You and Kiba go speak with Oberon and Titania, maybe the fairies can find something we missed. Koneko, can you go join Sona and her team? You have a good nose so maybe you can help out."

"Of course," Akeno nodded.

The three of them left the room, leaving Rias alone with Issei and Asia. Why was all of this happening? He just wanted Ryusei to live in this town without any worry about dying or anything like this…so why?

"Issei, Asia," Rias smiled. "Don't we have a court house to go to?"

Issei stood up and took a look at the kunai. "Prez, do you know anything about Lian-Yu?"

"Lian-Yu?" Rias raised an eyebrow. "What makes you ask?"

"It's the island where Ryusei-Kun was stranded on five years ago," Asia explained. "He told us yesterday of what he had to do in order to survive but…what kind of place is Lian-Yu?"

The prez became quiet. Issei began to think that maybe he shouldn't have asked, maybe he should have left it well enough alone. But still, he wanted to know. He wanted to know what his brother was doing those five years, what he had to do to survive, what type of place could destroy someone's body that way.

"Lian-Yu is by every stretch of the imagination, hell," The prez explained, walking over and taking a seat across from Asia. Issei sat down next to his adopted younger sister and could feel his hands tremble. Luckily, Asia took his hand and gave him a comforting smile. "It's Mandarin, for purgatory. The island itself was created a long, long time ago as a shrine to appease two dragon gods. The gods were sealed into the island itself, seeing as it lay atop various ley-lines of magic that runs throughout the world."

"The island was created to seal two gods?" Issei asked.

"But that's not the worst of it," Rias sighed. "A few years ago, the island was attacked by…something. We have no idea what happened, but the shrine that kept the gods sealed away was destroyed and they haven't surfaced since. Half of the island was completely sunk into the sea and the other half was left a radiated wasteland. Issei I'm going to be honest with you," She leaned forward and laced her fingers. "How your brother survived five years in that place…I don't know. But you need to keep an open mind about this. The person that they found on that island, might not be the person you once knew."

Issei gulped. He knew she was right. There was no way something like that could happen and a child could come out of it unscathed. He knew there was something different about Ryu. He had a completely different aura about him, despite putting on that cheerful attitude and that innocent smile.

"Issei-San," Asia said, gripping her hand tighter. "We should get to the court house. Your parents are probably there already."

Truth be told, he still wanted to know. What were these gods that were sealed on the island? How did half of it sank? Tossing the thought aside, Issei stood up and smiled at Asia.

"Yeah, let's get going," Issei smiled. "Will you be coming with us, prez?"

"If you'd allow me to," She smiled.

Issei and Asia joined Rias in a magic circle as they teleported over to a storage room in the court house. Stepping out of the door, Issei found his parents outside the doors to the court room. They were dressed rather well, however there was a grim aura around them.

"Mom, dad," Issei walked over. "Is everything ready?"

"Issei," His father smiled. "He's inside right now, we're going to be ready to go in a few minutes."

"Mother, father," Rias smiled. "Thank you for allowing me to come with you today."

"It's not a problem Rias," His mother smiled. "We're always happy to have you."

The doors to the court room opened and a lawyer beckoned them into the room. The court room was pretty vacant. Save for Issei and his family, there were only two or three important looking people scattered across the benches. Taking note, Issei saw a man in his twenties with long white hair tied into a ponytail with menacing teal eyes. With him was a blonde girl wearing a pantsuit carrying a binder.

On the other side of the court room was a much older man on the chubbier side. He had short brown hair and a pair of beady dark eyes. With him was a man no older than Issei with spiky dark hair and a pair of sunglasses.

The last person was near the door when they walked in was a girl. She was clearly younger than any other person here, maybe a middle schooler? She had short vibrant purple hair with the ends turning white. She had a deadpan stare facing the judge and Ryusei.

Ryusei was sitting behind a table facing the judge, a man in his later forties with white hair, a scruffy beard and a pair of round glasses.

Issei and his family walked forward and took a seat behind Ryusei, who gave them a comforting smile and a cheerful thumbs up.

"It's amazing he can be so carefree right now," Issei sighed.

"He reminds me a lot of you," Rias crossed her legs and smiled. "He truly is your brother, isn't he?"

"I'm going to take that as a compliment," Issei said.

"Prez," Asia whispered. "Who are these people? I don't recognize any of them."

"I'll explain later," Rias said in a more serious tone. "But for now, let's just listen."

"Rise," The judge said.

Issei watched as Ryusei stood up. He had gotten a haircut. His long hair was cut short though he still had his bangs. He was wearing a plain white dress shirt tucked into a pair of black slacks and auburn dress shoes. He looked like a business man, somehow that brought a smile to Issei's face.

"In your own words, Hyoudou Ryusei," The judge said. "Explain what happened in those five years."

Issei gulped.

"Five years ago," Ryusei started. "I boarded a plane and head towards New York City. Not three hours into our flight, the plane malfunctioned and we crashed landed in the ocean. I found that I was the only survivor, and I drifted for days on end without water until I washed up on that island. I spent the next five years learning how to survive, hunting for food, gathering water. I spent every waking moment of the past five years dreaming of the day I would be rescued, in order to come back to my family."

"Is that truly what happened?" The judge asked, somewhat not convinced.

"It is, your honor," Ryusei said.

Issei watched the staredown between his brother and the judge. While it was wrong for the judge to press for information like that when Ryusei told him everything, but he still couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. Was he not telling the whole truth? Was he really the only survivor?

"Very well," The judge had a smile tugging at his lips. He rested his cheek on his fist and looked to Issei and his family. "Congratulations, Hyoudou Ryusei. I hereby declare you legally resurrected."

The court was adjourned after the judge left the room. Issei walked over to his brother, swinging an arm around him and giving him a noogie. "Welcome back from the dead, little brother."

"I get it, I get it," Ryusei struggled. "Bro that hurts!"

"Come on Issei, ease up on your brother," His mother smiled.

Letting go of him, Ryusei stood straight and stretched. "Mom, dad, can you leave us alone for a bit? If anything, we'll meet you back at home."

"Alright, just don't stay out too late okay?" His father rubbed Ryusei's head. "We'll prepare a feast for you when you get home. Of course, you're invited too Rias."

"Thank you, father," the prez bowed her head.

As their parents went for the door, Issei couldn't help but notice the eyes on them. He wanted to say something, when Ryusei placed a hand on his shoulder. "Brother, something's wrong here."

"W-What?"

"These people were already in here when I arrived," Ryusei explained. "But it feels like…they're observing me."

"Don't worry," The prez said. "They're not going to do anything."

"Brother, who is this?" Ryusei asked. "She called mom and dad, mother and father?"

"Oh, right," Issei smiled. "Sorry. Ryusei, this is our club president, Rias Gremory. Prez, this is my younger brother Ryusei."

"Gremory, huh?" Ryusei said under his breath.

"What was that?" Issei asked.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Rias," Ryusei extended a hand. "I hope we can get along."

"Likewise," Rias shook his hand. "Actually, do you think you can wait for us outside, Ryusei-Kun? I'll handle these guys, it's nothing you should worry about."

That look in Ryusei's eyes…what was that?

"I understand," Ryusei smiled. "Bro, Asia, I'll see you outside."

After Ryusei closed the door, the people in the courtroom walked forward to confront the three of them. Issei and Asia got behind Rias, Issei ready to protect Asia in case anything happens.

"If it isn't Rias Gremory," The chubby man said. "What brings you here?"

"I can say the same to you, Garo Motoyama." Rias smiled. "I'm surprised you're not trying to find the man who attacked you."

Garo Motoyama? This was the head of the Kuoh vampire clan? What was he doing here at Ryusei's hearing? Wasn't he just attacked?

"What makes you think that's not what I'm doing right now?" He grinned.

"Keep your malicious intent to a minimum if you could, Garo," The small girl with purple hair sighed.

"Keep out of this you damn fairy," Garo clicked his tongue.

"I'm sorry, did you say something you blood sucking freak?" The girl put a hand around her ear as if she couldn't hear him.

"Why…you…little…" Garo made a fist and gritted his teeth.

"Now, now, let's just relax you two," The man with white hair smiled. "We're not here to pick a fight, Rias Gremory. Only here to witness the resurrection of someone we all thought was dead."

"How do you know of Hyoudou Ryusei?" Rias asked, her tone getting more serious.

"I suppose you can say he's a person of interest," The man said. "You can feel it, can't you? That overwhelming magic pressure coming from him?"

Issei was wide eyed with shock. His brother had magic pressure? How was that? What the hell was going on?

"P-Prez? What's going on? Who are these people?" Issei whispered.

"Let me introduce you," Rias smirked. "This man here is Garo Motoyama, the head of the Kuoh vampire clan. This girl here is Celeste, the heir to the Fairy Court. And this young man here is Leo, the alpha of the Kuoh werewolf pack."

Issei gulped. So many important people within the supernatural community all here at once. He hadn't noticed it before, but this magic pressure was overwhelming. It was only canceled out by Rias's own pressure which Issei was rather used to.

"If you'll excuse us," Rias said. "Our business here is concluded. We'll be taking our leave now."

Rias walked forward past them as Issei and Asia joined her. For some reason, Issei didn't feel any hostility coming from anyone other than Garo. The young girl seemed curious more than anything and Leo…Issei had no idea what he was up to.

Walking outside, Ryusei was sitting by a bench looking up at the ceiling, lost in his thoughts. Walking up to him, Issei slapped him out of his thoughts. "Let's go big man, we're going home."

"What happened in there?" Ryusei asked.

"Just some people here on a business," Rias crossed her arms. "Shall we go?"

"Yeah," Ryusei said, unconvinced.

As Issei and Asia walked with Rias, he glanced back to see Ryusei lost in thoughts and walking on autopilot. He gulped…Ryusei has magic pressure? Just what the hell happened on Lian-Yu?

**…**

_Five Years Ago… _

_Ryusei was shaken from his sleep when the plane rocked to the side a few times. He shot up and looked frantically from side to side. He looked out the window to see nothing but blue…were they over the ocean? They must be close to China seeing as it was the fastest route to New York. _

_Looking to his left, he saw Alicia sitting next to him instead of Merrick. They were both fast asleep with Merrick leaning on Alicia's right shoulder and her resting her head on his. She had said they weren't dating but…was that really the case? _

_"R…Ryusei…" Alicia yawned. "What's wrong? Can't sleep? You should get some rest…it's a long trip." _

_"I thought there was turbulence," Ryusei said, eyeing them. _

_"Hmm? What's wrong?" Alicia asked. _

_"Are you sure…you two aren't dating?" Ryusei asked. _

_"Huh?" Alicia looked to her shoulder to see Merrick sleeping soundly. "Oh this? He tends to lean to his left whenever he sleeps sitting up so I thought I'd switch seats with him." _

_"I see…" Ryusei said. "You two are pretty close, huh?" _

_Alicia smiled and rubbed Merrick's head. "We've known each other since we were kids. We were both abandoned by our families and practically grew up together. Our mentor…I mean mother, raised us together so we're practically brother and sister." _

_Mentor? _

_Ryusei watched as Merrick slept. He looked completely peaceful. It was amazing how much he reminded Ryusei of his brother. The same outgoing personality…the same manner of speech. Alicia also reminded him a lot of Irina. He couldn't help but imagine Alicia as someone Irina would grow up to be one day. _

_"Ali…" Merrick's hand moved in his sleep and grabbed Alicia's breast. "More…more…just like that…" _

_Ryusei's eyes shot open as he glanced up to Alicia's face, whose eyes were twitching and an annoyed look grew on her face. _

_"You…perverted…idiot…" Alicia pounded his head and completely knocked him out cold. _

_He…really does remind Ryusei of his brother. For some reason he started to giggle and began to laugh. _

_"Hmm? Ryusei?" Alicia asked. _

_"Nothing, it's just you two remind me of my brother and friend," Ryusei smiled. "I'm just glad that I won't be alone on this flight." _

_Alicia smiled and rubbed his head. "Don't worry, we're here for you." _

_His face felt hot, why was he so nervous? _

_Suddenly, the plane began to shake which woke Merrick up. "W-What? What's going on?" _

_"Turbulence," Alicia said, grabbing both of them and holding them tight. _

_"A-Ali…too…tight…" Merrick struggled. _

_"C-Can't…breath…" Ryusei said. _

_Ryusei heard the sound of an explosion, as the plane completely dived down. Ryusei could feel his organs rearranging from this complete drop in pressure. His mind was going blank, his body going numb. Was he going to die? _

_Alicia tightened her grip. "I'm here with you, Ryusei." _

_"Don't…be…scared…" Merrick managed to take Ryusei's hand. _

_Ryusei closed his eyes as everything went white. _

**Author's Note - I used elements from Assassin's Creed and Overwatch so it's a big jumble of various shows and franchises so I hope you guys don't mind. This story will be mainly character driven and stray completely away from the main DxD plot so everything will be an original story. I hope you guys don't mind and let me know if you have any comments or reviews. I hope you guys liked this chapter and I'll see you again soon :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**TheBlindSalmon - Yeah it takes place after Volume 1 so pretty far back. Thanks for your support, it means a lot! **

**Shade99 - Yeah sorry LOL I wanted to keep it as grounded as I can while still having magic and everything. But if there's anything you'd like me to add, just let me know!**

**3**

Ryusei stared up at the sky. Night had fallen over Kuoh once again. His second night back home. He wished he could be home with his family, spending time with them and reconnecting with them from the five years that he had lost, but he knew he had a bigger mission to do. Thousands of people in this city were suffering at the hands of the corrupted individuals at the head of it all.

He pulled his hood over his head and stared down the abandoned cathedral. For some reason, the cathedral had been abandoned for a few months without explanation. He had tracked Garo Motoyama and his men to this location, their den. As opposed to staying at some fancy hotel or at his office, the head of the Kuoh vampire clan chose to stay in a church? This was a whole new level of irony Ryusei didn't know he could handle.

Ryujin-Ichimonji was strapped on his back, though he had no intention of using it. Ichimonji's power is too strong…too strong for even him to handle. This blade originally belonged to another, it's power much like his eyes, were simply passed down to him.

Ryusei pulled out a few shishigami papers and tossed it in the air, turning into paper birds and flying around the church. Their magic pressure shouldn't be strong enough for anyone in there to sense, so he should be able to attack them by surprise. Closing his eyes, he linked his vision to the shishigami and got vision of who was inside.

He counted 17 vampires, with Garo sitting on the altar talking to the man in the sunglasses from earlier today at the court room. Only 17…it shouldn't be a problem. Grinning, Ryusei put the kabuki mask over his face, his emerald eyes glowing in the dark. "Guess I should get to work."

Tossing a knife at the roof of the cathedral before flashing to it, grabbing the kunai and landing on the roof without making a sound. Walking over to the glass panel on the roof, he looked down. Five men standing guard at the door, with two to either back door, which left the rest of them around Garo.

Ryusei dropped down through the glass, throwing his kunai at the ceiling before throwing a cascade of shuriken in all directions, taking out the guards by the doors in an instant. Landing, he looked to Garo with a hand on his nodachi strapped behind his waist.

"Garo Motoyama," Ryusei said. "Time for you to die."

The men surrounding him got into battle positions, save for the sunglasses guy and Garo himself.

"So, I guess it really wasn't that Ryusei kid after all," Garo took the cigarette from his mouth. "Seeing as that kid's at home eating dinner with his family."

Looks like the shishigami he had at home came in handy.

"So tell me," Garo said. "Who are you?"

"Your executioner," Ryusei drew his blade and flashed by Garo's side, all his men falling down with cuts on their necks as he sheathed his blade. "You've castrated hundreds of humans and used them as personal blood banks for you and your filth. Your punishments will not go unpunished."

"Big talk for an assassin wearing a stupid mask," Garo smirked. "Kusaka, kill him."

Kusaka? That sunglasses guy? Speaking of which…where did he go? Ryusei reacted instantly, blocking a slash at his throat from behind with his nodachi just as the blade was about to touch the nape of his neck.

"Quite impressive," Garo said. "You were able to block Kusaka's attack so easily. I see you've been quite trained, haven't you?"

This Kusaka…who was he? He erased his presence and got behind him at his blind spot in an instant. He's not just some run of the mill vampire…

"You have my respect," Kusaka said as he removed his blade. "Not many can parry my attack."

"Deflecting attacks, happens to my specialty," Ryusei said.

"Tell me," Garo said. "Even if you do kill me here, what do you plan to do about the various blood banks I have scattered across the city? Surely you don't think you can do anything by yourself?"

Ryusei scoffed. "I've already planted explosives around the facilities that hold the humans, as well as stationing servants there to free them as soon as I'm done here. This is nothing more than a clean up mission."

"W-What?" Garo gritted his teeth. "Why you little shit…Kusaka, kill him already. I want his head."

"Sir," Here it comes.

Kusaka's free hand jabbed at Ryusei before he blocked it, kicking Kusaka back to gain some distance. Something's off here…Kusaka's presence was failing, no disappearing. What the hell was going on?

In the span of a few seconds, the battle began. Ryusei clashed blades with Kusaka over and over again as they dashed around the room. These movements, those blocks, those cuts…Ryusei was certain now. Kusaka was an assassin as well, though no where near as well trained as Ryusei was. He was still sloppy, his movements were slow despite erasing his presence with magic. The method of killing that he was taught so long ago…the art of silent killing.

Ryusei appeared by the door, standing up and sheathing his blade. Kusaka appeared on the other side of the room, standing by Garo.

"You idiot, what the hell are you doing?" Garo growled. "Kill him already!"

"He can't," Ryusei said. "As he is now, this cut on my neck is the best he can do. Though I have to say, he's a great fighter with a lot of potential. However," In an instant, Ryusei drew his nodachi and flashed past Kusaka, sheathing it once again. "As he is now, he's nothing compared to me."

Kusaka's shoulders were sliced directly down to the point where his arms looked like they would fall off. Dropping to the ground, Ryusei looked at Garo in the eyes. Yes, these were the eyes of a man who knew nothing of combat, but rose to power through extorting and manipulating others.

"Don't worry, he'll live," Ryusei said. "I haven't cut off his head or pierced his heart, so he'll regenerate sooner or later," He drew his nodachi and sliced to his side, getting rid of the blood. "You on the other hand, have you said your last words?"

"Y-You little…Killing me won't solve a thing!" Garo shouted. "I still have dozens of men under me who will take my place! Killing me won't do a thing but fill that desire to kill!"

"Indeed," Ryusei said, pointing the blade at Garo's head. "So it looks as if I'll have to kill anyone who takes your place, over and over and over again, as many times as I have to."

"You little shit!" Garo charged at him with a punch.

Ryusei grabbed his wrist and pushed it to the side, and driving the nodachi into his heart. Garo rested on Ryusei's body, coughing up blood behind him.

"Rest now," Ryusei said. "Garo Motoyama."

"Y…You're…going…to…pay…" Garo gripped Ryusei's cloak tight, until the pressure let up and he collapsed.

Ryusei stared down at the lifeless body of the Kuoh vampire clan head. He looked around at the massacre that he had just committed. Was this really what he was going to be doing? Killing and killing until the city was safe? How many more would he have to kill? Will he be killing for the rest of his life?

"What a stupid question," Ryusei scoffed before pulling the blade out from Garo's body.

Why was he having doubts about everything now of all times? Was it because of his family? Was he worried about what his brother or Asia would think if they knew what he had become? He had hardened his resolve long ago. The boy that was stranded on that island died a long time ago. The person that they knew now, is nothing more than a shell with a fragment of the personality he had lost.

Yes, a shell. Nothing more, nothing less.

**…**

Ryusei was thrown out of his sleep when Issei and Asia came charging in through his bedroom door and screaming at him to wake up. Still groggy and half asleep, he opened his eyes to see his siblings standing by his desk with his school uniform pressed and dry cleaned.

"W-What?" Ryusei asked.

"You're starting school today you idiot," Issei smiled. "Hurry up and get ready, mom and Asia made breakfast downstairs."

With his brother on his ass, he quickly brushed his teeth and changed into his school uniform. Issei was behind him, putting his hands on his shoulders and smiling as they looked in the mirror.

"You look so grown up," Issei said. "I'm so proud."

"I…I don't know about this," His uniform was so tight, he could hardly move. A black blazer, a white stripped dress shirt with a black pair of slacks and dress shoes. "I feel like I'm going to a wedding or something. Do I really have to wear this?"

"Of course you do," Issei said with a mischevious smile. "Now, hurry and grab your things. We'll leave once we eat breakfast."

Breakfast was just a collage of stories about Ryusei's childhood and how they were close to Irina. As if embarrassing him wasn't enough, they had to bring up his little crush on their childhood friend. It was horrifically painful to remember seeing as Irina had an obsession with Issei, and his brother had absolutely no idea. Ryusei didn't know if Irina knew that he liked her back then. He did a great job of hiding it but still…that was the weirdest love triangle ever.

"We're off then," Issei said after putting away the dishes in the sink. "We'll be back after school. I wanted to show Ryu around and maybe get him to join our clu-"

"Issei-San," Asia pulled at Issei's shirt.

"Ah! Have him join a club or two," Issei pulled a fast one. "You know, get him back into the world."

"That sounds like a good idea," His mom said.

"Have fun you three," His father waved good-bye before going back to reading the paper.

Ryusei raised an eyebrow as he followed his siblings out the door. Get him to join a club? Did they mean the club that they belonged to? Did he really want to join a club like that? Their club president, Rias Gremory, definitely seemed like a good person. He's know of her even before meeting her. The heir to the illustrious Gremory family, one of the top devil clans in the Underworld. It was his first meeting her, but if she was a devil and Issei and Asia were in the same club as her…does that mean…

"Ryu?" Issei asked. "You excited?"

"Huh? Oh, about school," Ryusei sighed. "Yeah, I guess so. It's been a long time since I've attended school. I just hope I don't stand out too much."

"Stand out?" Issei asked.

"It's all over the news, Issei-San," Asia snickered. "The boy who came back from the dead, and he's going to our school of all places."

"I see," Issei scratched his head. "I guess it might be kind of hectic, huh?"

"Tell me about it," Ryusei sighed out of annoyance. "I just wanna be a normal kid again. I don't need this kind of baggage."

Issei's arm wrapped around his neck. "Don't worry, Asia and I are here for you during lunch and after school. I'm sure you can make some friends in class."

"I forgot I'm a first year student," Ryusei said. "You two are second years right?"

"Yes we are," Asia said. "We're both in the same class, so we'll be sure to drop by during break and lunch to check up on you."

"What class are you in, Ryu?" Issei asked.

"Class 1-A, I think," Ryusei scratched his head.

"Wait a minute, Issei-San," Asia said. "Isn't Koneko-San in that class?"

"AH! That's right!" Issei's eyes lit up like a Christmas tree. "You can be friends with Koneko! I totally forgot!"

"Koneko?" Ryusei asked. That's a rather odd name…

"She's a first year like you, and a member of our club as well," Asia smiled. "I'm sure you two will get along."

Another one? So it must be true then…everyone in their club has to be devils. It made the most logical sense. Someone like Rias Gremory wouldn't let outsiders into her territory, especially at school, if they weren't associated with her. He began to regret going to school here, this might be a terrible idea.

Kuoh Academy was a rather large school. Previously an all girl's school, it turned co-ed just a few years ago. It looked like a mansion with multiple buildings that acted as gymnasiums and multiple swimming pools, outside courts for various sports and even a fairly sized forest behind them.

"This is a school right?" Ryusei gulped. He thought the warehouses for the Brotherhood were impressive, but this was actually a school people go to learn.

"Welcome to Kuoh Academy," Issei smiled as Ryusei followed him in.

As they walked through the front courtyard, various students of all ages began to eye them. It wasn't as though he wasn't used to it. He realized just how much different he was from his brother. Despite being younger, he had grown taller than Issei by a few inches and even had a more lean muscle tone. It couldn't be helped either way, the time he spent training on the island and off it forced his body to grow. But perhaps the one thing that set them apart were their eyes. Issei still had their parents brown eyes while his were now an emerald green.

"Don't let them bother you, Ryusei-Kun," Asia smiled.

"I'm surprised you're so used to this," Ryusei said.

"I've been used to these eyes for a long time," Asia said.

What the hell? Why did he just sense a kind of sadness in the gleam of her eyes? It felt like an untold amount of despair for just a split second. She cheered up and caught up to Issei. What exactly happened with them? Did Issei do something to her…and is that why she's living with them?

"He wouldn't…" Ryusei said aloud to reassure himself, but as he said it aloud he realized that Issei was always the pervert. He would always peek up girl's skirts or use his innocent child figure to grab onto girl's breasts whenever he got the chance, claiming that he didn't know what he was doing because he was a kid.

His brother and sister stopped when they entered the school building. In front of them were lockers for their shoes. Behind them were several staircases leading to the upper levels as well as doors leading behind the school, various hallways and a cafeteria.

"This place is a freaking nightmare," Ryusei sighed.

"Come on," Issei said, changing his shoes. "Your locker's next to mine so change shoes. We'll show you where your class is."

This school was a complete labyrinth. How could any of these people find their way around? But eventually, they arrived at Ryusei's classroom on the first floor. He figured out that the classes were split up by floor level, first floor for first years, second floor for second years, and third floor for third years. The fourth floor was used for clubs and libraries.

"We'll come by during lunch or break to check on you," Issei said, patting him on his back. "Don't do anything stupid."

"Good luck, Ryusei-Kun," Asia waved good-bye as she and Issei went for their class.

Ryusei swung his bag over his shoulder. He still had his bracelet on, but his nodachi was back at his hideout. He figured bringing a weapon into school for his first day didn't seem like the best thing to do, but he should have done it anyway. Having that thing on him at least made him feel safe…this was a completely uncharted area for him.

Gulping, he opened the door to see students scattered across the room. Some were sitting with friends, some were standing up talking about T.V shows or books, a few of them were in the back and looked like delinquents. In the far corner of the room was a single girl. She was sitting by herself, staring off into the front of the school. She seemed on the more childish side with fairly short snow white hair and golden eyes. She…actually looked like a cat. It couldn't be…

"Hello," A boy with raven hair and glasses walked to Ryusei. "Are you the new transfer student?"

"Y-Yeah," Ryusei relaxed a bit. "My name's Ryusei. Hyoudou Ryusei."

"Hyoudou?" A girl sitting in her desk perked up. "You don't mean _that_ Hyoudou, do you? That perverted idiot?"

Ryusei felt like she hit the bullseye with that hurtful yet extremely accurate description. "Y-Yes, I'm afraid. I'm his younger brother."

"Oh! You're him!" The girl shot to her feet and rushed towards him, attracting the attention of the other students. "You really came back from the dead huh? I heard you spent five years on an island by yourself! Was it true!"

Ryusei backed up against the door as his entire class rushed towards him, mostly girls and pressing against him. He shouldn't have come back…the island was far easier to survive.

"Everyone please!" The boy with glasses shoved the girls back. "It's inappropriate to harass someone like this. Have any one of you considered that maybe he doesn't wanna talk about it?"

"Eh? Is that true, Hyoudou-Kun?" The same girl asked. She had long blonde hair tied into a ponytail and bright brown eyes.

"Y-Yeah…sorry, I don't really want to talk about that right now," Ryusei smiled and scratched his head.

"We're sorry," The girl said. "I was just curious, that's all. I didn't mean to bring up bad memories."

"No, it's okay," Ryusei said. "I'll talk about it some other time, but for right now I just wanna see what it's like to go back to school."

The boy with the glasses smiled. "I'm Nagase Hiro, the class representative. If you have any questions or if you ever get lost or don't know where to go, feel free to ask me anytime."

"Thanks," Ryusei shook his hand. "That'd be a big help. This school is unnecessarily large and complicated."

"You got that right," The girl stood up and sat on her desk facing them. "I only transfered here a few months ago and I'm _still_ lost."

Ryusei looked to her and observed her. She didn't seem to possess any magic and her magic pressure wasn't too much to talk about…yet why was he getting this uneasy feeling?

"What? What is it? Why are you staring at me?" She asked, before smirking and pulling down the collar of her uniform. "Or were you not really staring at _me?" _

"Himegami-San," Hiro interjected. "Don't go doing something like that in school."

"Boo, Hiro you're always such a party pooper," Himegami stuck her tongue out.

"You should at least introduce yourself, instead of talking to him so familiarly," Hiro fixed his glasses.

"Oh, right!" Himegami jumped on her feet. She wasn't that tall either, just up to Ryusei's shoulders. "I'm Himegami Emi. Nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you," Ryusei smiled. Despite her perverted ways, she didn't seem like a bad person. She was a lot like Issei, though her appearance reminded him more of Asia.

That second, the doors opened and the teacher walked in. "Everybody take your seats. Class is starting."

"Sensei," Hiro said. "This is Hyoudou Ryusei. He's the new transfer student."

"I see," The teacher set down her books on the podium. "Thanks for your help, Nagase. You can go ahead and sit, I'll take it from here."

"Yes mam," Hiro went back to his seat in the front row.

This teacher…isn't human. He was fairly good as sensing magic pressure, and she was giving off a rather strong one. She was suppressing it however, but it still leaked through. This didn't feel human or demonic, it almost felt…divine.

"Alright everybody," The teacher stood next to Ryusei and put a hand on his head. "This is Ryusei. I'm sure you've all heard the news lately, but I don't want anyone bugging him about anything if he doesn't wanna talk about it. I'm talking to you, Himegami."

"E-Eh!" Emi protested.

"In any case," The teacher cleared her throat. "I want you all to treat him like any other student. Help him out if he needs help and be his friend. That goes for you too, Hyoudou."

"Y-Yes, mam," Ryusei said. She spoke with an assertive tone. Was this typical of Japanese teachers? Her confidence and demanding of attention and respect, it was clear that she wasn't to be taken lightly.

She moved her mouth close to his ear and whispered, "Be careful. Eyes, everywhere."

Ryusei's eyes shot open. He turned to stare at her. She had long silky black hair down to her waist and cool gray eyes. She wore a white dress shirt and skirt, with a lab coat. She had thin glasses that rested on the bridge of her nose and her skin…her skin was a ghostly pale.

"Now, take your seat," She pushed him ahead. "The seat in front of Toujou should be empty. You can ask her or Nagase if you need anything."

Toujou? He looked to the corner to see the white haired girl staring at him. So it really was her, Toujou Koneko. She really did look like a cat. He walked over and sat down, smiling at her to only be shunned as she looked away.

He took his seat and sighed. He looked ahead to see Hiro turning around and giving him an OK sign with his hand, as if to say "good try".

School was…completely useless. Everything that he was being taught, he had already learned when he was a kid or memorized all the books he could get his hands on at Masiaf. He had a good understanding of quantum mechanics and theoretical physics…and he was being taught basic algebra.

Himegami…why did name sound so familiar? He could have sworn he's heard it or seen that name before somewhere, but he couldn't remember where. Out of curiosity, he pulled out the journal from his bag and flipped through. There were still tons of names still there, though he's managed to cross off three so far including Garo Motoyama. The humans he had used as personal blood banks were taken to Kuoh Central Hospital and should be okay, but that Kusaka guy…

Himegami! That name was in here. Himegami Juushiro. Says that he's a human who's been using magic to profit off of other humans…and using that money to pay for the reconstruction of homes in the South side of Kuoh? This didn't make any sense, why would his name be on here? He's been doing good building homes for the homeless, so why would his name be on this? Ryusei had no problems killing, but he was against killing without purpose.

It was ingrained in him to follow the Creed, and follow the three tenants. He was trained to kill swiftly and silently, and if you're going to make it messy, leave no trace that you were there. His mentor himself was against killing without purpose, but she always followed orders without a problem. But this…was he really okay with killing an innocent man like that?

"Hyoudou. Hyoudou. Hey Hyoudou, can you hear me?"

Ryusei closed his journal and put back in his bag.

"You're annoying him, Himegami."

"Hyoudou!" Ryusei jerked back, staring up at Hiro and Emi who were staring at him like a crazy person. "Finally, what were you doing? You spaced out through two periods, staring at that book."

"Hyoudou, are you feeling okay? Perhaps we should go see the nurse?" Hiro asked.

"N-No, I'm okay don't worry," Ryusei stretched his arms. "Has it really been two periods? It felt like a few minutes."

"You're a weird one, aren't you," Emi said, placing her palms on the table and leaning forward. "Are you secretly some genius who doesn't need school?"

That accusation might not be entirely false…

"Of course not," Ryusei grinned. "I just had something on my mind, that's all."

"Well, whatever the case," Emi stepped back and placed her hands on her hips. "Want to have lunch together? Hiro and I were gonna go eat on the roof."

"Lunch?" Ryusei asked. "Isn't it break?"

"You spaced out through four classes, Hyoudou," Hiro fixed his glasses.

"F-Four?" Ryusei gulped. "My bad…But I'd love to join you."

"Toujou-San, would you-" Hiro started, but Koneko already had gotten up and left the classroom before he could finish.

"Jeez, what's her problem?" Emi asked. "She's always ignoring us whenever we ask her to eat with us."

"Leave her alone, Himegami," Hiro said. "That's just the type of person she is."

"Is she…" Ryusei studied her as she closed the door. There was a feint…no, sealed magic within her. Replacing it was a devil presence. She didn't even bother to suppress it at school? But then how was Issei and Asia's presence concealed like that? Were they suppressing it as well? Or were they actually not devils at all. Dammit there was so much on his mind.

"Hyoudou?" Hiro asked. "Are you ready? We should get going or we won't have any time to eat."

"Yeah," He stood up and grabbed his bag. "Let's go."

Hiro and Emi led up to the roof of the school building. There were green pastures and a small field, several benches and even a walkway connecting to the gymnasiums to their side. It was small yet beautiful place.

The three sat down at one of the fields. There were other students around, but for some reason he got the feeling they weren't eating. They were standing around, or sitting, but their eyes were fixed on the three of them…Ryusei in particular.

"I can never get used to this," Ryusei sighed.

"You're a pretty famous guy, aren't you?" Emi smirked.

"Aren't you going to eat, Hyoudou?" Hiro asked.

He shook his head. "I forgot to bring something eat and I don't have money. It's fine, I'll just watch you guys."

"That's kind of sad," Emi said before tossing him a rice ball. "Can't have you going back to class on an empty stomach, you might actually pass out instead of spacing out."

He actually went two weeks without eating and only drinking what little rain water he could find so…

"Thank you," Ryusei smiled. "And you guys can call me Ryusei if you want. I never liked calling people by their last names."

"I see," Hiro said, eating his bento. "Ryusei it is then."

"Ryusei!" Emi cheered like a little kid.

"Have you been adjusting back to life okay?" Hiro asked. "I don't mean to pry, but I just wanted to make sure you were settling back okay."

He's a pretty nice guy after all, once you look past his strict and professional nature.

"Everything's been great actually," Ryusei smiled. "My mom and dad are still in disbelief sometimes, but my brother and sister are helping me a lot."

"Sister?" Emi asked. "I didn't know you had one. Does Hyoudou have a sister?"

"Apparently something happened and they ended up adopting someone before I came back," Ryusei said, eating his rice ball. "Her name's Asia. She's actually been a big help."

"A-Asia? Asia Argento?" Emi asked. "The beauty in the second year class? She's your sister?"

Ryusei gulped. "Y-Yes? Is something wrong?"

"She's a total knockout!" Emi said. "Perfect blend of sexy and cute, she's a once in a lifetime find! I can't believe that pervert is actually her brother…" Emi growled and ate her bento in anger.

"Behave Himegami," Hiro sighed. "In any case, I'm happy that you're feeling better."

"Thanks, Hiro," Calling him by his first name seemed to be a shock, but a smile tugged at his face so Ryusei assumed it was okay.

"Call me by my first name too Ryusei!" Emi raised a hand.

"Fine, fine," Ryusei smiled. "Emi."

"Why did that sound to hot coming from you!" Emi blushed quickly and laughed.

Ryusei watched as Hiro and Emi interacted with one another. They seemed to bounce off one another in unison, their personalities clashed but they were still friends. A sudden image of Ryusei, Merrick, and Alicia quickly popped into his head. He teared up a bit remembering the past, but he wished that things could remain like this for just a little while longer.

**…**

Issei sat in the Occult Research Club during lunch, his heart racing and his palms sweaty once again. It was like when he was waiting for Ryu at the hospital…but this time felt so much worse.

"So it's true then," Rias sighed. She leaned against her desk with her arms crossed and a troubled look. "You were able to confirm it, right Koneko?"

Koneko nodded. "He was suppressing his magic, but I definitely felt powerful magic coming from him. It was equal to yours, prez."

Rias nibbled on her thumb in thought. It was impossible, but now it was beginning to make sense. Of course all that time on that island would change him, but Issei wanted more than anything for it to not have changed him. He just wanted his brother back…

"Were you able to find anything else?" Kiba asked.

"He was looking at a notebook, or a journal," Koneko reported. "It was small, but he was looking at it for two hours. I didn't get to see what was on it, but it looked like…"

"Like?" Rias asked.

"Names," Koneko said.

Issei felt like he was hit by a brick. He looked over to see Asia just as shocked as he was, maybe more.

"I didn't think it was true, but…" Rias said. "Issei, the reason those people were there at your brother's hearing was to confirm what we just confirmed. Your brother might be the person who attacked Garo."

"T-That's impossible!" Issei stood up in protest. "I know Ryu…He might be a bit violent when it comes to family, and he's an idiot, but he's not a killer!"

"Issei," Akeno said. "Late last night, Garo Motoyama was murdered. The den that he was staying at was completely massacred, there wasn't a single survivor."

Issei felt his heart dropped. "N-No…Ryu…Ryu wouldn't…He couldn't…He was eating dinner with us and then went to bed. He couldn't have…"

"I'm not saying he's the one who did it, Issei," Rias said. "But we can't narrow him out yet. All of this started happening as soon as he came back. Don't you think it's even a bit weird?"

She was right. The attack on Garo, that magic pressure…it was all leading to the same conclusion. Issei balled his fist. "No…I don't want to believe it. Ryu could never do something like this."

"Ryusei-Kun is a kind person," Asia joined him. "He's naive and a bit serious at times, but I don't believe he can do something like this, no matter how much that island changed him."

"Issei…Asia…" Rias looked at them in awe. "I apologize, I didn't mean to accuse anyone of anything. But I will have Koneko keep an eye on him from here on out, just in case."

"I…I understand," Issei said, balling his fist. Why was this happening? Why would they accuse Ryu? Was he really capable of this? He didn't know what to think or what to do.

Asia took his hand and calmed him down. "Let's get back to class, Issei-San."

"Y-Yeah…"

**…**

_Five Years Ago… _

_Ryusei felt coldness. He felt the wind blow against his body as he seemed to be moving. Why was he moving? Shouldn't he be dead? Is this…is this heaven? _

_"No, it's my back you idiot." _

_That voice…Ryusei forced his eyes open to see the back of Merrick's head. He was being carried by Merrick and walking along a beach, filled with sand and trees all around them. _

_"Stay still fora bit, we're almost there," Merrick said. _

_Almost where? Where even were they? Suddenly, he felt a tingling sensation in his leg. That's weird…he couldn't move his toes. He couldn't even feel them. _

_Merrick walked them closer to the trees. Ryusei saw Alicia tending to a few people leaning back against the trees. There couldn't have been more than five…the rest were laying on the ground with clothes covering their faces. _

_"Are they okay?" Merrick asked. _

_"She has a mild concussion and a few bruised ribs, but she'll live," Alicia said, standing up. She walked over and picked up Ryusei from Merrick's back. "You feeling okay? Any pain?" _

_"M-My leg…" Ryusei mustered. _

_Alicia carried him over to a tree stump and set him down, looking at his leg. He then realized what had happened. Off in the distance, a few miles from where they were, was the plane. It was split in two and floating in the ocean, on fire and close to blowing up. _

_"Did we crash?" Ryusei asked. _

_"Something like that," Alicia ripped a part of her skirt and wrapped it around his leg with two logs to keep it in place. She handed him a long stick. "If you're going to walk, which I don't recommend, use this. Try to not put too much pressure on your leg for awhile, okay?" _

_"Five survivors, huh?" Merrick scratched his head. "That's not looking good. There were over 200 people on that plane." _

_"We managed to save as many as we can," Alicia stood up and joined him, looking out into the ocean. "Do you think they already found us?" _

_"Maybe, but I wasn't expecting them to find us so soon," Merrick said. "For now, we have to make sure nobody else dies. You take care of them, I'm going to see if I can find us some high ground for shelter." _

_What were they talking about? Who found them? And how were they able to be so calm in this situation? They just crashed landed on an island…was this island? Maybe they were near China, if so they could call for help. _

_Ryusei's eyes filled with tears before he realized it. He just wanted to go home. He wanted this nightmare to be over and go home and see his family again. He shou;dn't have left. _

_"Be brave, Ryusei," Alicia walked over and crouched down, patting his head. "If you feel like crying, just remember that you need to live. Remember your family, and your brother. Make sure you live so you can go home, okay?" _

_"Alicia…" Ryusei wiped his tears and stood up, leaning on the stick. "Can I help you with anything?" _

_Alicia smiled. "There might be some stuff that washed up on shore, or even people. See if you can find anything we can use for cover. If you find anything, just shout for me okay? Don't go too far." _

_Ryusei nodded and made his way to the beach. He kept his eyes on the lookout for anything. He gazed off towards the plane. It couldn't have been more than an hour since they crashed, seeing as the sun was still up even before they crashed. And the plane was broken directly in half…wait, in half? How could it have broken in half like that if they had just crashed? There's no way an impact with the ocean head on could have split the plane in half. _

_Merrick and Alicia…they were talking about being found. Were they secretly criminals on the run from someone? Is that why the plane crashed? He looked back at Alicia tending to the injured. If that's the case, why would they be helping everybody? Wait a minute…wait if they were hostages? Was he thinking too much about this? _

_Suddenly, off into the waves, he saw a hand. "A-Alicia! Alicia!" _

_"Ryusei!" Alicia dropped everything and ran over. _

_He had already began to walk towards the current, reaching out to grab the hand. If he didn't help them, they'd drown. He needed…to…reach. _

_"R-Ryuse! Wait a minute, don't-" _

_He got a grip on the hand and pulled back. That second, he felt his stomach release everything up his throat and out his mouth. He vomited into the ocean in a horrific manor. Alicia walked over and comforted him. _

_He looked back as he watched the hand float out into the ocean…it was just a hand…a torn off hand…_

**Author's Note - Hey guys! I wanted to take this chapter a bit slower so I introduce a few side characters. As I said this is an original story, so the main cast will have something do but I wanted to have my own characters too. Hope you guys like them. I'm also keeping the story grounded as much as I can while still including magic and monsters. Hope you guys liked this chapter and I'll see you soon. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Guest - Thank you for the advice and resource! I've been looking at a lot of wikis about blending in magic with an urban fantasy setting so I hope it fits well, especially the Rick Riordan books and the Shadowhunter Chronicles. **

**Flo - I'll be sure to take it slow for now so don't worry, but thank you for your concern :) As for Issei, he'll confront Ryusei about it but I'm not exactly too sure about pairings for Ryusei yet. If you have any thoughts, please let me know. **

**BloodRaven - I was definitely going to make a Felicity character, but I'm still sort of working on it. It was going to be Ms. Kamiya or Celeste, but I still haven't really decided yet. **

**4**

Ryusei walked around the campus after school had ended awhile ago. He figured he should set up a talisman portal here just in case he was stuck at school and needed to go. The only problem with that plan was that this school was basically ruled by devil families. Aside from Rias Gremory, Ryusei felt a powerful devil presence here. He didn't know where they were but he knew they were here. This school was crawling with devils.

For some reason, Issei and Asia never came to visit. Not as though he was upset, he was more curious. Did something happen with them? And in the same ball park, what the hell was with his teacher? Ryusei felt magic pressure coming from her, intense and violent no matter how much she suppressed it. And that warning she gave him…_eyes everywhere._

"Huh? Ryusei?"

He looked up to see Emi, wearing her P.E uniform and covered in sweat, carrying several boxes and pulling a wagon with even more boxes. Her blonde hair was tied back into a fluffy and loose ponytail and her brown eyes pierced him.

"Emi? What are you still doing at school?" Ryusei asked.

"I'm on the tennis team, we have afternoon practice," Emi said. "What about you? It's getting late, shouldn't you be going home?"

"I wanted to walk around and get familiar with the school," It wasn't the whole truth but he wasn't technically lying.

"I see," Emi said, pursing her lips. "Can you help me out then? I have to get these boxes to the fourth floor science club."

"The fourth floor?" Ryusei raised an eyebrow. "How are you gonna get that up there?'

Emi smirked. "There's ramps in the corner of the floors for special needs students. C'mon, I'll show you."

And so, Ryusei tagged along to help her out. As she carried two or three boxes with her hands, Ryusei pulled the wagon along behind him. Emi explained to him about the various clubs around Kuoh, and how a lot of students tend to join one or two to pass the time and socialize. The tennis club, the basketball club, the art club, music club, anime club, science club, cultural festival club…he didn't realize one school could have so many.

"Hey," Ryusei said. "Do you think our teacher is a bit…weird?"

"What? Ms. Kamiya?" Emi asked. "Well yeah she's a bit out there, but she's really helpful. Actually she's the science club adviser so…"

"You're kidding," Ryusei sighed.

"Well," Emi stopped in front of a classroom. "We're here." She knocked on the door with her feet. "Excuse me? Ms. Kamiya? Are you in there?"

"Yes. Come in."

Ryusei slid open the door as the two of them walked in. The science club was a small yet functional classroom with posters plastered over the walls, beakers and cylinders on the shelves and a giant Periodic Table on the back wall. Sitting by the front table was Ms. Kamiya, legs crossed and reading an old but familiar book. Sitting by one of the desks was Hiro, was he doing homework?

"Himegami, Hyoudou, why are you here?" Ms. Kamiya asked.

"Our captain asked me to bring these to you," Emi said. "She said it was important and that you'd know what to do with them." She set one of the boxes on the table Ms. Kamiya was sitting at as the teacher peeked in.

Was he just imagining things or did a smile just tug at Ms. Kamiya's lips. Whatever the case, she seemed rather pleased with their delivery. "Thank you, you two. Will you be off now?"

"Yeah, sorry I gotta get back to practice," Emi walked for the door. "I get out at 6 so I'll come by if you're all still here."

"See you later then," Ryusei waved as she closed the doors behind her.

"What's wrong, Ryusei?" Hiro asked, fixing his glasses. "You seem uneasy."

"Is this…really a science club?" He asked.

"What do you mean?" Hiro asked.

"Well…the book that sensei's reading is a grimoire," Ryusei said. "It's a magic related book which is completely against science. And not to mention I can sense more grimoires all around the classroom. What are you two up to?"

Hiro stood up and fixed his eyes on Ryusei. "You can sense them?"

"Well…yeah," Ryusei said.

"Calm down you two," Ms. Kamiya smiled and sat back down at her table. "You're right, Hyoudou, this isn't an actual science club. We just thought we should have our own room in order to practice and this seemed like a good cover up."

"Practice what exactly?" Ryusei asked, not exactly sure if he really wanted to know.

Ms. Kamiya pulled a book out of the box that Emi had set down. "Magic. I've been teaching Nagase how to perform magic."

"What?" Ryusei narrowed his eyes at Ms. Kamiya. "Why would you do something so irresponsible? You can't just drag humans into this world like nothing!"

"Ryusei," Hiro said. "I'm the one who asked her to, this isn't sensei's fault."

He stared at Hiro with wide eyes. "Hiro…why would you want to learn magic? Do you know what's in store for you? This world is not something you wanna be associated with…maybe you can still get yourself out."

"I know what I signed up for, Ryusei," Hiro stared at Ryusei. Those eyes…those determined and unwavering eyes.

"Hiro…" Ryusei looked to Ms. Kamiya. "Are you sure it's alright to be talking like this? You said that there were-"

"This classroom has been completely warded against everything," Ms. Kamiya put her hands in the pockets of her lab coat. "No one can spy on us in here, and no one can teleport in."

"Ryusei, you seem to know a lot about magic…" Hiro said, walking towards him and Ms. Kamiya. "Who are you?"

"I'm just…me," Ryusei pulled the wagon closer to the front table. "I hope you're sure about this, Hiro. I don't know how much she's shown you, but this world is much, much more terrifying than you think."

Ryusei was about to exit the room, until Ms. Kamiya stopped him. "It really was you, wasn't it?"

"What could you mean?" Ryusei asked, not turning around to face her.

"Garo Motoyama was impaled through the heart, his men were completely massacred, and the blood banks he was storing around the city were liberated," Ms. Kamiya said. "That was you, wasn't it?"

"What?" Hiro asked.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ryusei said, prying his hand free of Ms. Kamiya's grip.

"Hyoudou," Ms. Kamiya said. "I know what you went through on that island, and what you went through after it."

Ryusei stopped in his tracks. He turned around slowly to face her, his eyes horrified. "W…What?"

"I know why you're doing this, why you're crossing those names off," Ms. Kamiya took his hand. "But know that you won't have to do it alone. This is going to be a long and tiring journey. It's best if you don't walk this path alone."

He knew she was right. He knew that it was going to one hell of a job trying to kill all of those people by himself, especially since most of these guys have armies behind their backs. It would be easier if he had help, people to fight by his side, but…he didn't want anyone else to die in his name.

"I'm tired," Ryusei relaxed. "It's been a long day. I'm going to go home. Good night, sensei, Hiro."

"W-What, Ryusei!" Hiro said, but Ms. Kamiya stopped him.

Ryusei closed the door behind him, hoping to hear in on their conversation from outside, but these doors were really warded. He couldn't hear anything at all.

He leaned against the wall next to the science club door and wandered into his thoughts. Did he really want to involve other people into this fight? The last time he opened himself up to anybody and told them the truth, his closest friends died protecting him. He couldn't involve ordinary humans in like this…Hiro and Emi, they've shown kindness when everyone around him treated him like some fossil from a museum that was brought back to life. He couldn't…he couldn't…

"You can't what?"

Ryusei looked to his side to see Emi once again. She was changed into her school uniform and her bag swung over her shoulder. "You okay Ryusei? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Emi…" Ryusei forced himself to calm down and straighten up. "It's nothing. I was just going to go home."

"What about Hiro and Ms. Kamiya?" Emi asked.

"Club practices, I didn't wanna interrupt them," Ryusei forced a smile.

"I see," Emi didn't seem convinced, but she softened and smiled. "Say, you wanna grab some food on the way home? My treat."

"Eh? Are you sure? I don't wanna-"

"It's fine, don't worry about it," She grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the school.

They went to a local McDonald's and took a seat by the window. As he waited for Emi to come back with their food, Ryusei realized what type of situation he was in. Was it really okay for him to have this kind of normal life? Would Emi accept him if she knew what he had done…or what he was about to do?

"Jeez, it'd help if you relaxed a little," Emi set their trays on the tables and sat across from him. "You're so serious. What's up?"

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Ryusei ate a few fries.

"Clearly something's on your mind," Emi rested her cheek on her palm. "We may not be that close yet, but I'm here if you wanna talk about it."

Ryusei opened up his burger. "A friend of mine is in a bit of a situation."

"Oh?"

"He's done some…not so decent things in his past, and he's not sure if his friends would accept him and stay with him if they knew about it," Ryusei said, nibbling at his burger. "He's got an important mission to do but he knows he can't do it alone for too long. He's debating if he should tell someone about it it, but…"

"Seems like your friend's a real idiot."

Ryusei almost choked. "W-What?"

"If you really consider someone a friend," Emi smiled. "Why would you be so worried if they're going to accept you? This is one of those times where your friend needs to take a leap, the faith can come later."

Ryusei stared at Emi in awe. She came off as a completely air head who was carefree and outgoing and didn't have a care in the world. And yet here she was, giving him sound advice…

"I think…" Ryusei swallowed his burger. "I had the wrong impression about you."

"What!" Emi pouted. "What's that supposed to mean? Did you think I was some kind of air-head?"

"N-No, of course not," Ryusei found himself genuinely smiling.

Emi crossed her arms and pouted, looking the other way. "You're mean, Ryusei."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Ryusei smiled. "Thank you for your advice, Emi. I'm sure my friend's going to take it."

"He'd better," Emi grabbed her fries and started nibbling. "Your friend's got some pretty good friends, it's about time he start seeing it."

**…**

After walking Emi half-way home, Ryusei decided to finally go home. He walked through the streets with Emi's advice in mind. Maybe she was right…maybe he should at least tell Issei and Asia about everything he's been through.

It was then that he noticed he was being tailed. Ryusei kept calm and walked in a constant cadence to avoid giving it away that he knew. What the hell was this? Who was tailing him? How did he know him? Was it from his first visit to the south side? He doubted that those spies would even think about tailing him after what he had done to Garo. There was only one conclusion he could come to…Rias Gremory.

This magic pressure felt familiar, Koneko? It felt suppressed, trying to mask their presence, but it wasn't good enough. She was at least 100 feet behind him, jumping from rooftop to rooftop.

Why was Koneko following him home? Was this because of Rias trying to keep an eye on him? There was a slight possibility that it wasn't Koneko, but the chance was so out there Ryusei didn't consider it. There's no way it couldn't be.

His house was only a corner away. Once he entered, he could be shielded as long as he's in his room. The wards and talisman there protect him against eyes outside his room. Even through the window, all she would see was him laying on his bed or doing homework. He could use the portal on his door to enter his hideout and go out investigating.

"I'm home," Ryusei walked through the front door to see his parents watching T.V in their living room.

"Welcome home," His father said. "Issei and Asia said they had club activities so they won't be home until later. Are you hungry? There's-"

"I'm okay," Ryusei headed towards the stairs. "I'm feeling kind of tired so I'm going to bed. Good night."

"Goodnight," His mother said with an unconvinced look.

Walking into his room, Ryusei felt an overwhelming sensation of eyes on him. Despite the wards on his room, he still felt like he was being watched, as if eyes were penetrating through the talisman and looking right at them.

Ryusei took off his blazer and unbuttoned his dress shirt as he headed towards the door. Tracing his fingers along the door frame, the outline of the door began to glow. The portal was ready. Opening the door and stepping through, he entered his hideout.

Ryusei was immediately on guard. This presence…someone was here.

"I gotta admit," A voice said. "This place is extremely well protected. It took me a whole half an hour to break through the talisman and wards. Don't worry though, I repaired them so no one can see through."

Towards the tables holding his weapons and magic stones, a girl walked forward. She had short vibrant purple hair with the ends turning white. Her skin was rather tan but her eyes a bright blue, closer towards white. She couldn't have younger than 15, and yet this magic pressure was overwhelmingly strong.

"Haven't I seen you somewhere?" But then he remembered. She was there at the court room at his hearing. She was among the three figures sitting down, alongside Garo and that white haired boy. "Why are you here?"

"I just wanted to visit the illustrious Dragon Slayer in person," The girl smirked. "Word on the streets is that you killed that old fart Garo. Can't say I'm too upset seeing as I never liked him in the first place."

"So why are you here?"

The girl waved her finger as one of his shishigami flew over to him in the form of a butterfly. Arriving, it returned to it's original form, a paper with an image of a man in a hood.

"Congratulations, Hyoudou Ryusei. You're a wanted man by the supernatural community." The girl said.

It was him, though the image was pretty unclear and hand drawn. It was him with his hood over his face. They didn't get his noticeable feature, being the scar on his chin, but it was him nonetheless.

"Looks like one of Garo's men survived," Ryusei sighed. "Guess I'm rusty."

"So you admit it?" The girl looked genuinely surprised.

"I can't really seem to convince you otherwise, can I?" Ryusei said. "Plus you found this place, either way I can't explain myself out of it all."

"I guess this makes things easier," She sighed, almost disappointingly.

"Are you going to arrest me?" Ryusei asked.

She raised an eyebrow. "Arrest you? Why would I do that? You seem to be doing a good thing."

Ryusei walked over to the tables and set the wanted poster down. "Am I? I'm killing people, what part of that is good?"

"Don't act like you didn't save those people being used as blood banks," The girl scoffed and crossed her arms. "As heir to the Fairy Court, I, Celeste daughter of Oberon and Titania, hereby appoint you, Hyoduou Ryusei, as my knight."

Ryusei raised an eyebrow. "Why would I want to be your knight?"

Caught off guard, Celeste jerked back and put her hands on her waist. "How rude! You should consider it an honor that I, Celeste, would even consider you good enough to _be_ my knight."

"Yes, but why would I want to be your knight?" Ryusei asked.

"Because," Celeste smirked. "I've known of you, even before you came back to Kuoh."

Ryusei froze. "What?"

"The incident in Lian-Yu? The induction into your super secret brotherhood of assassins? Even the incident at London." Celeste walked over to him. "I've known about you, for a very long time." She popped him on the nose.

"W…What do you want?" Ryusei asked, reluctantly.

"I want you to keep the Fairy Court, as well as the wolves out of your sight," Celeste said. "Anyone else is fair game for your judgement, but we are to be off limits. If not, I'll show everyone who you are, and then your whole family will be in danger."

"You know," Ryusei shot her a look of complete dread. "Blackmailing me of all people, won't end out well for you, your family, or the wolves."

Celeste looked shaken. It was clear that this was her first interrogation and negotiation. Normally he would use whatever he can against her, but he couldn't risk his parents being caught in the line of fire. Issei and Asia should be okay seeing as they have Rias Gremory, but his parents…

"Very well," Ryusei sighed. "I'll take you up on your blackmail…I mean offer."

Putting her hands on her waist, Celeste laughed victoriously. He didn't want to submit to her, but it was the right thing to do now.

"By the way," Ryusei said. "Did you follow me to my house?"

Celeste raised an eyebrow and looked at him confused. "Follow you? Why would I follow you?"

"I see," He grinned. "Nevermind then." So it wasn't her, which meant it had to be Koneko. "Are we done here? There's one more blood bank out there that I have let to liberate."

"Very well," Celeste said. "I'll leave you to it then, but I'm keeping my eye on you, Dragon Slayer." She vanished with a gust of wind swooping up her body.

He let out a sigh of relief and annoyance. Not only did someone find his hideout on the second day he built it, but she was able to blackmail and keep him from hunting the fairies and werewolves. This is such a pain in the ass. He should have just killed her the first chance he got.

Ryusei activated his bracelet and donned his uniform. Grabbing his nodachi and kabuki mask, he set out to the last blood bank storage area.

Crossing the town wasn't entirely difficult, but he had a lot on his mind at the moment. The fact that Koneko was tailing him, and then Celeste breaking into his hideout, and now he had to go liberate the remaining blood banks. None of this seemed right. It all felt…too scripted. There was no conclusive evidence to even arrive at such a conclusion, but his gut was telling him to be extremely careful.

The warehouse on the edge of the city was meant to be used to storage for construction, but now it was empty seeing as any construction plans for the south side of the city had been canceled. He could sense a number of people inside, maybe around 10? But there was something else…not a single vampire around the entire area. In fact, the closest one was within the city, nowhere near here. What the hell was going on?

Landing by the front door, Ryusei entered with extreme caution. Ryusei sent out three shishigami to light up the inside of the warehouse. In the far end of the warehouse, hordes of humans gathered together. They were all wearing rags over their mouths and screaming.

Ryusei flashed over and knelt down to help out a girl. She looked younger than he was, maybe a middle schooler with long raven hair and dark blue eyes. Why did she look so familiar?

"You have to run! It's a trap!" The girl shouted as soon as he removed the rag.

It was too late. The other "humans" sprung out of their restraints and surrounded him. As he looked around and sensed their magic pressure, it was clear that they were all devils. In fact some of their faces looked familiar…he was certain he had passed them at school.

"It's over," A voice called out to him from the front doors. Looking ahead, Ryusei was rather surprised to see Rias Gremory. She stood triumphantly with her arms crossed, joined by three people. One of them was a girl equal to Rias's age with long black hair and sadistic smile. The other two were…Issei and Asia? What the hell were they doing here? Did they know?

"You're completely surrounded," Rias declared. "We have devils stationed outside guarding the perimeter of the area. You can't escape. Drop your weapons and come with us quietly."

Ryusei turned around and cut open the girl's restraints. She at least was human, he was sure of it. There wasn't any way she was involved in this, she even warned him that it was a trap.

"Take this," Ryusei said, handing her his kunai. "Stick close to me, and keep your head down, okay?"

The girl pressed her back against his and took a weak stance. "O-Okay."

A smile came on his face. Even in this situation, her fight-or-flight instincts kicked in. This girl was a fighter.

"It'd be best if you let me go, Rias Gremory," Ryusei said, materializing a scroll from his shishigami. "I really don't want to hurt anyone."

"It's over, Ryusei," Rias said.

He froze. Should he reply? If he did, it'd be a dead giveaway that it was him, even if he could defend himself. Issei, Asia…say something, please!

Asia held up a talisman…the ones he had placed around his room. "We found this in your room, Ryusei-Kun. Please…"

"Ryu…" Issei said. "Is it really you?"

In a split second, Ryusei threw his kunai across the warehouse and pinned the talisman against the wall behind Asia.

"Bring him in!" Rias ordered.

Ryusei tossed up the scroll as it unwound. He quickly turned around and covered the girl, as dozens and dozens of shuriken and kunai shot from the scroll and attacked the devils around him.

"Hang on tight, okay?" He asked.

He didn't wait for an answer, as he dashed past the devils and ran towards Rias and the others. She prepared for an attack, a blast of demonic energy. While carrying the girl, he was able to twist his body to evade, but the blast broke parts of his mask, revealing his eye.

Landing, he ran towards the door while looking back at Issei. He was looking at him with those eyes…the eyes he had never wanted to see on Issei or Asia. The eyes of someone looking at a complete monster.

**…**

Atop a water tower that had a great view of a certain warehouse in the south side of Kuoh, Celeste Clearwater sat by the ledge of the tower and swung her legs back and forth, eating potato chips as she watched the show. Of course, she knew that the blood bank had been a trap, seeing as she felt no magic infusion in any of those people, save for one. She could have warned the Dragon Slayer when she broke into his hideout, but of course that would spoil all the fun.

"Sick and twisted as always I see," Leonidas Wolfbloom knelt down besides her, taking on her chips. "Why didn't you just tell him it was a trap?"

"Because then I wouldn't get to see the show," Celeste grinned.

"How's he doing?" Leo asked.

Celeste stopped her legs and stared at the warehouse as a figure dashed outside. It was him, carrying a human girl in his arms.

"Surprisingly not dead, though I can't really say much seeing as that Gremory girl is as incompetent as always," Celeste pouted.

Leo giggled as he sat down next to her. His white hair tied back into a ponytail, though several strands of hair came over his forehead. His mysterious teal eyes were always scheming, up to something behind her back. "Sometimes it's hard to believe that you're over 300 years old."

"Oh please, I'm still just a kid," Celeste scoffed. "What about you, huh? Aren't you almost 80?"

"Werewolves age much slower than humans, you know," Leo smiled. "But in any case, now that his secret's out, I wonder what he'll do."

"True," Celeste said. "Perhaps I could talk him into coming to the Fairy Court. We could use someone of his talents."

"I think he'd be better with my pack," Leo said. "We need an instructor as merciless as he is, yet kind and compassionate."

"Enough of your petty arguments," A voice said behind them. Looking back, Celeste saw a familiar face. A high school science teacher with long flowing black hair and cool gray eyes. She looked casually at the warehouse with her hands in her labcoat pockets. "He's mine."

"Not fair that you get a claim over him so easily, Kamiya-San," Leo snickered.

"I appreciate you offering, Leonidas," Kamiya Mizuki said. "but taking care of him is my responsibility. I owe someone a debt, that I'll never be able to pay back."

"A debt?" Celeste asked.

"But in any case," Kamiya said.

"Don't just ignore me," Celeste bit her lip.

"Any news on the Reaper?" Kamiya asked.

"Some of my wolves have reported in," Leo said. "He's currently in China, but he'll be making his way here soon. I give it three weeks before he arrives."

"What do we do?" Celeste asked. "My mother and father are informed of the Reaper, but they're afraid to make any moves yet."

"As am I," Leo agreed hesitantly.

"We wait," Kamiya said. "For now anyway, as he is, he's in no condition to fight the Reaper."

"We can't just sit back and let that freak steal all those souls," Celeste said.

"Oh? Since when have you cared so passionately about humans, Celeste Clearwter?" Kamiya smirked.

"You big boobed bitch," Celeste gritted her teeth.

Kamiya purposefully wrapped her arms underneath her breasts and pushed them up. "Oh, you mean these? Yeah, they're so heavy. It hurts my back just walking sometimes."

"I swear if you weren't an angel I would kill you right here and now," Celeste growled.

"He's on the move," Leo said.

Celeste looked back to see Ryusei running towards the city, possibly to drop off that girl at her home or a police station.

"None of you approach him for now," Kamiya ordered. "Report to me if anything else happens, especially about the new Vampire Head."

And just like that, the angel of death vanished with the sound of flapping wings. Celeste let out a sigh of relief. "I thought she'd never leave."

"You two always get along so well," Leo smiled.

"In what way do we get along?" Celeste asked, before sighing. "In any case, I'll keep an eye on him."

She got in one last look at the Dragon Slayer, before vanishing and going back to the Fairy Court.

**…**

_Five Years Ago… _

_Ryusei snuggled up against a tree around the campfire. It had been around three days since they crashed landed on this island, and yes they had confirmed it was an island. Merrick had spent that first day circling the area to see if there was any help. He met up with the rest of the survivors after circling the entire area of the island. _

_Now, they were all sitting together atop a hill that Alicia had found to use as shelter and high ground. Those two…Merrick and Alicia, were extraordinarily calm and collected despite the crappy situation they were in. They were able to rally everyone together and divide up responsibilities. There were three teams: one to hunt for food, one to gather water, and one to build shelter. In three days, they managed to build three huts, a campfire, and even a rack to dry their clothes. _

_"Here," Merrick handed Ryusei a fish. "You gotta eat or you'll faint. C'mon." _

_Ryusei took the fish reluctantly. He hadn't eaten in hours and his stomach was ready to pop. _

_He looked around at the others. Aside from Ryusei, Merrick, and Alicia, there were three other survivors. There was a blonde foreigner who was hesitant to help out at first, but the threat of death scared her into submission. There was also a man in his forties and his twenty year old daughter. Oddly enough, the both of them took orders from Alicia and Merrick without question. Now that he thought about it, these two were excellent under these conditions. Not once did they even stop to think about their next move, almost as if they've been through this situation before and knew what to do. _

_"Alright everybody, listen up," Merrick gathered everyone's attention. "So far, we've been here for three days and it seems as though we're the only survivors. I've gone to check out the plane multiple times for any supplies and rations and everything we have is in that hut over there. So for now, until we figure out a way to get off this island, we all have to work together okay?" _

_"How…" The foreigner said. "How can you be so calm? We're all going to die here! I might never see my mom or dad again…" _

_She was older than Ryusei, but no older than Alicia. She had long blonde hair that was flowing behind her back and brown eyes. _

_"Do you have family at home?" Alicia asked. _

_"My parents, and a little sister," The girl said. "I was supposed to go to New York for vacation, I should have just stayed home." _

_"What about you guys?" Merrick asked the father and daughter. _

_"We were going to visit her grandmother," The man replied. "My mother is pretty sick so we though we'd go visit her if we can." _

_"I'm Hana," The daughter said. "This is my father, Tetsuya." _

_"A…Airi," The blonde girl said. _

_Merrick smiled. "I'm Merrick. These are my partners, Alicia, and Ryusei." _

_"Wait a minute," Ryusei swallowed his fish. "Partner?" _

_"Well yeah," Merrick rubbed his head. "We're partners aren't we?" _

_He instinctively looked to Alicia for guidance, but she just sighed and told him to play along. _

_"Okay," Merrick cleared his throat. "Tomorrow morning, I'm going to go scout the rest of the island. There might be animals or caves here that we could use or eat. We have enough water and food to last us another week before we have to go hunting again. Everyone follow Alicia's orders, she'll take care of everyone." _

_"Why should we have to take orders from you?" Airi wiped her tears away. "And besides, aren't you two a bit too calm and relaxed? We might die here yanno?" _

_Alicia grinned. "This isn't our first life or death experience. You can trust us, Airi-San." _

_Unconvinced but not wanting to start a commotion, Airi backed down. Merrick nodded and looked to Tetsuya. "Tetsuya-San, would you mind coming with me tomorrow morning? I would ask Ryusei to come with me, but he's injured and I don't wanna risk anything else." _

_"Yes, of course," Tetsuya nodded. _

_"Dad…" Hana tugged at her dad's shirt. _

_"I'll be okay, Hana," Tetsuya smiled. "Just stay with the others, okay?" _

_Just then, Ryusei heard rustling noises to the bushes far from them. Was it an animal? It was already night so why would there be animals still wandering around? He looked back to Merrick, but he was still talking to Tetsuya. Instead, Alicia got up and joined him. _

_"We're gonna step out for a bit," Alicia said as she helped Ryusei up and walked towards the bushes. _

_"Did you hear it too?" Ryusei asked. _

_"You've got sharp ears, Ryusei-Kun," Alicia smirked. "I'll have to keep that in mind." _

_"What's going on?" He asked. _

_She stopped several feet from the campfire and in the darkness of the trees. She stooped down to meet Ryusei's eyes, her own eyes with a fiery passion. _

_"Ryusei, listen to me okay?" Alicia said. "You cannot tell the others about this, do you understand?" _

_Reluctantly, Ryusei nodded. _

_"Merrick and I belong to…an organization," She explained. "Do you remember when I told you we were orphans? Well we were taken in by a woman and she trained us and raised us. We've done a lot of bad things, but we're trying to make up for them now okay?" _

_Though he didn't fully understand it all, he nodded. _

_"Take this, okay?" Alicia pulled out a weird shaped kunai and handed it to him. "Protect yourself. This island is a lot more dangerous than you think, but I promise you we're getting off of this place and you'll get to see your family again, okay?" She held up her pinky finger. _

_"Yeah," Ryusei made a pinky promise with her. _

_"Hey!" Merrick shouted. "You two done making out over there? We gotta get some sleep!" _

_"Shut up!" Alicia shouted back, before taking Ryusei's hand. "Let's head back." _

_Ryusei lay on the ground with a blanket made of leaves that Alicia had made for them. He was in the middle of Tetsuya and Merrick, but he couldn't sleep. For the second night in a row, sleep eluded him. For some reason, he couldn't shake the terrible feeling that something was going to happen. _

_He was downright terrified of what was happening right now, but he needed to be smart and use his head. He knew he wasn't physically strong, so now of all times he needed to use his head. _

_"What's wrong?" Merrick asked, his hands behind his back as he looked up at the sky. "Can't sleep either?" _

_"Nervous, I guess," Ryusei said. _

_"Hey, Ryusei," Merrick said. "What did you wanna be when you grew up?" _

_"Me?" He gave it a bit of a thought. "I guess, I've always wanted to be a teacher." _

_"A teacher, huh?" A smile came on his face. "That's not half bad, a good dream to strive for, don't you think?" _

_"Yeah, I guess so," Ryusei said, perplexed at Merrick's sudden shift in character. "By the way, what's this super secret organization that you and Alicia belong to?" _

_Merrick fumbled. "She…She actually told you? Well I'm not surprised but I can't say I'm not a bit shocked." He cleared his throat. "Think of us as superheroes. We get rid of the bad guys so that the world can be safe." _

_"Merrick," Ryusei looked at him blankly. "I'm 11, not stupid." _

_Merrick stuttered. "I-I guess you're right, my bad Mr. Columbia student." He smiled. "I guess you can call us, assassins." _

_Ryusei stared at him with shock. "Assassins? As in you kill people?" _

_"This world is much bigger than you think, Ryusei," Merrick said. "More than just humans and animals inhabit this world. Creatures of myth, monsters underneath your bed, demons and angels, every single story you ever heard as a kid…all of it is true. It's our job to make sure that the line between reality and fiction stay blurred, to keep humans safe from the world they don't know and will never understand." _

_"You talk as if you're not human anymore," Ryusei said. _

_"I might as well not be," Merrick snickered. "Ali and I…we've done some pretty terrible things in the name of peace for humanity. We just…couldn't take it anymore, you know?" _

_Ryusei gulped. His character suddenly changed again. He spoke with such anguish in his voice…what exactly did he have to do? _

_"Get some sleep, Ryu," That name sent bells ringing in Ryusei's head. "I'll tell you more in the morning." _

_Ryusei laid back down and closed his eyes. Ryu…He wondered how Issei was doing. _

**Author's Note - I'll be taking it easy on the chapter releases so I don't burn myself, so thank you to anyone who was worried about me! Also, I never really liked writing fics where the MC was too closely associated with the Devils, so this is going to stray away from that a bit so maybe the Angels or another faction. I'm also going to be taking the pacing a bit slower to develop characters, so I hope you guys don't mind. I know that there hasn't been a lot of action scenes so that's the reason why. Hope you guys like this chapter and I'll see you soon :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Guest - Dude I love you. Thank you so much for your resource recommendations, it's going to help so much. **

**Tge Red - Should I? I don't know I never felt like anything I've written is good enough for sites like that all those amazing stories. I'll consider it though, thank you!**

**5**

Sitting in the Vatican Square, Shidou Irina ate a sandwich as she looked up at the cloudless sky. She sat in the middle of Vatican City. She had a hard time believing it at first, but most of the city was shrouded behind wards so that humans wouldn't get involved. This was the center of exorcist activity all over the world, Vatican City.

She sat at the large water fountain with a statue of Joan of Arc. Four paths diverged to four different buildings. In front of her was the exorcist barracks, where the trainees recruited by high ranking exorcists or volunteers from all over the world. Behind the barracks were several training stadiums and buildings to develop their magic and armories holding holy weapons.

To her left was the grand library, where most of the classes for trainees are held during the day as well as being accessible to the public. It held a great amount of knowledge that Irina never bothered to enter. She hardly understood any of the books so she hardly ever visited unless she had to.

To her right was the Sistine Chapel. Although the building was incredibly large and decorated with incredible murals and artwork from famous artists from back in the day, Irina knew the true purpose of it all.

Sitting here and eating made her reminisce about her childhood. She remembered having to move to England right after Ryusei-Kun died. Thinking back, maybe she should have persuaded her father to let her stay. She felt horrible having to leave Issei in his time of need, and to make it worse she hasn't had any contact with him ever since.

A smile tugged at her lips. She remembered Issei getting stuck atop a tree because he wanted to show off, and Ryusei himself trying to showoff to her so he climbed up to get his brother. Unfortunately, they both fell and began to cry, which left Irina with the responsibility of cheering them up. They were like family, times that she would pay anything to relive again. Now that Ryusei was gone…

"Irina!"

She looked over to see Xenovia. The young exorcist was out of breath and standing before her. Her short blue hair was messy and uncombed and her violet eyes having a sense of worry.

"Xenovia? What's wrong?" Irina asked.

"We have a mission," Xenovia said.

Swallowing her sandwich with a worry, she got up and followed Xenovia as the two went to see the Paladin. The Paladin's office was located in the Sistine Chapel, at the very top that was only accessible via a teleport chamber that only exorcists could enter.

Irina knew of the Paladin, Karisma Gray. The highest ranking exorcist in all of the Vatican and second in command only to the Pope himself. Karsima and her six Knights are in charge of handling missions and training the trainees in the Vatican. Truth be told, Irina had only spoken to the Paladin only twice before and both of them were indirect conversations with other exorcists with her. She had never had an actual conversation with someone so high up, and now she was being summoned to her office for a mission direct from the Paladin herself.

"Aren't you nervous?" Irina asked.

"Why would I be nervous?" Xenovia asked, confused.

"Can you at least try to act a bit human," Irina sighed. "It's a mission direct from the Paladin. Doesn't her Knights usually give out missions? It's been a long time since anyone's been summoned there for a mission."

"Well that's true," Xenovia said. "But doesn't this mean we're making a lot of progress? Maybe we'll be high ranking exorcists soon."

The hierarchy of the exorcists was rather simple. Irina was taught that it was all about colors. Her current rank was red, which meant she was above the the lowest class of white. White ranked exorcists were usually trainees who have never been out on the field. Red meant that Irina could be deployed on harder missions with a blue ranked exorcists being team leader. A rank above blue would be yellow, or gold to some people. In all the time that Irina's been at Vatican City, there have only ever been 10 gold ranked exorcists, and seven of them are the Paladin and her six Knights.

The Paladin's office was much like the Oval Office in the White House. It was a circular office with twin couches facing each other in the middle with a coffee table in between. On either side of the walls were spiraling bookshelves with floating bookshelves behind the massive wooden desk. Behind the desk were two people, a girl with long pink hair and dark violet eyes…and the Paladin herself.

Karsima Gray was an intimidating woman. In her early twenties, she stood at a tall 5'10 with long black hair that was flowing down her back and down to her waist. She had gray eyes that matched her last name, and her body was a slender and voluptuous masterpiece. She was always jealous of how well curved and erotic her body was…

The girl with pink hair was Suzuki Rin, Karsima's second hand and in charge of the Knights. She was second in combat prowess only to Karsima herself and was in charge of the military affairs and mission delegations in the Vatican.

"Ah, you're here," Rin said. She gathered up the papers that were on the desk and stepped behind Karsima, who stood up and crossed her arms to face Irina and Xenovia.

Nervous…was not a descriptive enough word to describe how Irina was feeling. She was able to sense magic pressures due to her training, and this magic pressure coming from Karsima was completely overwhelming. It felt like something was pressing harder and harder on her chest with each breath she took. Thanks to Xenovia nudging her elbow, she was able to regain composure.

"Sorry for calling you two here on such late notice," Karsima sighed. "We seem to have a bit of an issue in Japan, more specifically Kuoh."

That word sent a ringing in her head. "Kuoh?" She asked. "What's happened?"

"Yesterday night," Rin explained. "The head of the Kuoh Vampire Clan was killed by an assassin, his den was also completely massacred."

Irina felt her heart racing. She knew about the vampires and their tendencies to feed on normal humans, however ever since the non-aggression treaty between the supernatural community, their need to feed has gone down. Why would anyone murder the head of an entire clan? Or rather…_how_ could they have done it.

"Do we have any leads?" Xenovia asked, calm as ever.

"Unfortunately, not a lot to go on," Karsima sighed. "Our scouts tell us that it was only one person, but we're unable to track who it was seeing as there are wards all over Kuoh. It seems as though he's very skilled. One of our scouts reported that he took out six human muggers in a split second after drawing his sword. He was so fast, our scout couldn't even properly assess what had happened."

"In their own words," Rin said. "Six cuts in a split second, I didn't even know what happened after he sheathed his blade"."

Irina gulped. What kind of warrior is that skilled? She knew that Karisma and the Knights were strong, but were they capable of such a thing?

"What would you like us to do?" Xenovia asked.

"Since Shidou Irina here is familiar with the city," Karsima said. "I'd like for you two to go and investigate. I'd like this to be a covert mission so unfortunately it'll have to be just the two of you."

"What about combat?" Irina asked. "If it comes down to it, will we be able to fight him?"

"Avoid combat at all costs," Karsima narrowed her eyes. "This is strictly a recon mission. Go and see if you can find anything, talk to the local supernatural community if you must, but be careful of who you can trust."

Irina gulped. "Y-Yes, I understand."

"Leave as soon as you can," Karsima crossed her arms. "Contact me via talisman every few hours for updates. I'm counting on you two."

"Mam," The two said in unison.

Exiting the office, Irina fell back on the wall in relief. "That magic pressure…is incredible."

"It truly is something else," Xenovia looked at her hands as they trembled. "It isn't like anything I'd ever felt."

"Tell me about it," Irina sighed. "Should we leave tonight? It's best if we can leave as soon as possible."

Xenovia nodded. "I'll meet you at the gates tonight at 7."

"Bye-bye," Irina waved at Xenovia as she walked away, before curling up into a ball and getting lost in her thoughts. After all these years, she was finally going back...Issei, she wondered how he was doing.

**…**

Ryusei finally stopped in a dark alleyway somewhere in the commercial district of Kuoh. It was already night, but there were still dozens of people walking by. This was perfect for them, they could easily blend in and walk from here instead of going by rooftops.

He looked over to the girl, who was sitting down and catching her breath. She was in bad condition, bruises and bite marks around her neck. Her dark blue eyes were sulk and baggy. The things she must have been through…

"T…Thank you," She said, to Ryusei's surprise.

"How long were you there?" Ryusei asked, sitting down besides her.

She pulled her knees up to her chest and smiled saddened. "Three months…I think. I lost track of time." Her hand went for her neck.

Ryusei didn't know what to say in these situations. Nothing he could say could make her feel better and anything he does wouldn't be right.

"Do you have a family?" Ryusei asked.

She smiled. "A mom and a dad, and a brother too. He must be so worried. He actually goes to a school near here. He's even a class representative."

Ryusei froze up. He took one more look at her and observed her features. Raven hair…dark blue eyes…she couldn't be?

"Is he…" He said, getting her attention. "Is he kind of tall? Wearing glasses? Always kind of strict and professional?"

Her eyes widened. "Y-Yes…do you know my brother?"

That Hiro…is this why he was trying to learn magic from Ms. Kamiya? He blamed himself. He should have figured out sooner that his sister was kidnapped…he could have saved her sooner. But then again, it's been three months. He had only returned recently.

"He's a good friend," Ryusei removed his mask and smiled at her.

Her cheeks began to get red. "Y…Your eyes are pretty."

He could feel the blood rushing to his face. He quickly put his mask back on and looked away. Why did he do that? He just showed her his face! Now she could be a target…

"Listen," Ryusei said, turning back to her. "You cannot tell anybody about me, not even your brother, especially him. If anybody knows my face, or even my name…anyone who knows it could be in danger."

"I…I understand," She nodded.

Ryusei sighed in relief and leaned his head back against the wall. Hiro…he was trying to find his sister. He was willing to learn magic and enter this world just for her…

"I'm Hinata. Nagase Hinata, but you can call me Hina." The girl smiled. "All my friends do."

"Friends?" Ryusei said.

"Yeah, you saved my life," She said. "Even if I can't know your name, you should at least know mine right?"

He had never thought about it like that. He had never been on a rescue mission for humans like this, and even when he did, he was usually backup for others. He had never been in a situation where anyone thanked him.

"Do you want to go home?" Ryusei asked.

The question seemed to struck a chord with her. "Can I really go home? It's been a long time…"

"Trust me," Ryusei said. "No matter how long you've been gone, I'm sure they'll welcome you home with open arms."

She stared at him with wonder. Ryusei stood up and unclipped his belt, taking off his cloak and handing it to her. "Cover yourself, and put the hood on. We're going to be walking on foot here, there's a lot of people so we can blend in."

Hina stood up and took the cloak, wrapping it around herself. Taking her hand, Ryusei made his way to the crowd.

They inched through the crowd, Ryusei making sure he didn't loosen his grip of Hina's hand.

"Hina," Ryusei said. "Thank you, for warning me."

"Huh? Oh…" She smiled. "It was the least I could do."

"You did fantastic," Ryusei said.

"Were those people, bad?" Hina asked.

"Honestly, the line between good and bad in this world is so blurred," Ryusei sighed. "The best any of us can do is what we feel is right. It's only then that the truth of this world can be known to us."

"The truth?" Hina asked.

They began to walk uphill, towards the residential areas.

"Nothing is true, everything is permitted." Ryusei recited. "It's the words that I was taught to live by."

"What do they mean?"

"It means to realize that this world is fragile, that nothing we already know is as it seems," Ryusei explained. "To realize that nothing in this world is true, is to realize that your actions and your actions alone will pave a path for yourself. Once that truth is obtained, you're able to create your own destiny. To live your life by the rules set by you and only you. To live with the consequences of your actions, whether glorious, or tragic."

Those were the words that he, at one point, needed to hear. At the very depths of his despair, those words had given him hope. The teachings of the Brotherhood were ingrained in him now, the best he could do is teach others of it.

"That's a bit, complicated, don't you think?" Hina asked.

"Yeah, it really is," Ryusei found himself snickering. "You don't have to understand it yet. Just remember to live your life for you, don't worry about what others may think or say to you."

"I see," Hina squeezed his hand. "Thank you, uh…"

"You can call me Kabuki," Ryusei said. "People also call me the Dragon Slayer, but that name's a bit too fancy."

Hina giggled. "Thank you, Kabuki-San."

Hiro's house was much like his own, not too far from his house actually. The lights were on which meant that there were people home.

"What's wrong?" Ryusei asked.

"I'm scared to go in," She squeezed the linings of the cloak. "What am I supposed to say?"

Ryusei put a hand on her head. "Don't think too much about it. Your family is right there, go and see them."

"Your coat…" Hina said.

"Keep it," Ryusei said. "I'll come back for it one day, so keep good care of it for me okay?"

Hina looked up at him. "Kabuki-San, can I see your face again?"

He didn't want to, but he figured he should at least listen to her considering all she's been through.

He slid his mask to the side of his head and stared down at her. To his surprise, she got on her toes and kissed his cheek.

"Thank you for saving my life, Kabuki-San," Hina smiled, before entering the gates and walking towards the door.

She waved good-bye to him before knocking on the door. Ryusei took cover as he watched her parents hug her and cry their eyes out. Hiro even came out, his eyes completely tearing up and on his knees.

"That idiot," Ryusei scoffed before sliding his mask back on.

He slid down the wall and sat down. "Now what am I supposed to do." His secret was out to the major devils in the city, his brother and Asia knew as well. He had nowhere to go, he couldn't just walk in his house and expect his family to just accept him. Sure his parents might, but Issei and Asia…they were his enemies now. He wanted everything to go back to the way it was, but this mission was too important. His life, even if it's his family and social life.

"What do you want to do?"

Ryusei looked over to see Ms. Kamiya, standing there looking at him with her hands in her lab coat.

"Take that silly mask off," Ms. Kamiya sat down besides him. "You're in quite the predicament, aren't you?"

Ryusei took off his mask and stared up at the sky. "What should I do, sensei?"

"Nothing is true, everything is permitted," She recited. "The words at the heart of your creed, isn't it?"

Ryusei stared at her in shock. "How do you-"

"I always considered saving you from those idiots in hoods, but you seemed so at home there that I didn't wanna get in the way," Ms. Kamiya placed a hand on his head and pulled him towards her.

With his head laying on her lap, he looked up at her to see her eyes softening and looking at him with a smile. It was for an instant, but he could have sworn he saw shadows of twelve pairs of wings behind her from the street lamp over their heads.

"M-Ms. Kamiya…what are you-"

"What will you do now, Kabuki," She asked, stroking his hair. "Your secret is out to the last people you wanted to know, the Fairy Court has their eyes on you and through blackmail, you're not allowed to hunt the fairies or the wolves. Your back is really against the wall now, isn't it?"

"I won't even ask how you know about all of that," Ryusei sighed.

"Why don't you come stay with me, for now at least," Ms. Kamiya said. "Gather your strength, come up with a plan, but of course you can still carry out your mission."

"Are you sure?" Ryusei gulped. "Why are you helping me?"

She smiled. "I owe a debt to someone, a debt that I'll never be able to pay back."

"A…debt?" Ryusei asked.

"Stand now, Hyoduou Ryusei," Ms. Kamiya said. "You've been in far worse situations before, haven't you? Are you going to let this stop you?"

Ryusei remembered Merrick and Alicia, and all the friends he had made over the years who had helped him. The people who had pushed him and drove him forward in his times of need. And now, even now, he still had someone. Ms. Kamiya wasn't exactly someone he knew let alone trust, but she was right nonetheless.

He got onto his feet and took a deep breath. "Thank you for your offer, Ms. Kamiya. I'll pay you back one day."

Ms. Kamiya got on her feet and crossed her arms. "My name is Mizuki. Kamiya Mizuki."

"I don't think I can call you by your first name, Sensei," Ryusei gulped.

She pressed her hands on her hips and leaned forward. "Mi-zu-ki."

Ryusei felt the blood rushing to his face. "M…Mizuki-San."

She seemed unconvinced, but smiled. "I guess that'll do for now."

Ryusei looked to his side at Hiro and his family. "Did you know? About Hina?"

Mizuki walked to his and joined him. "He came to me a few months ago, desperation and determination mixed together. I didn't know how to say no to someone like that."

"I hope with this," Ryusei slid his mask back on. "He'll give up this world. I don't want anyone getting dragged into this mess."

"I didn't know you were always so soft on humans," Mizuki giggled.

"Don't tease me sensei," Ryusei pouted.

"Just messing with you," She started towards the street. "Come on, my house isn't far from here. We can walk there. Don't worry, nobodies going to come after you."

Ryusei caught up with her. He still didn't know what to do about his family, but he was sure that Issei and Asia would come up with something to not concern his parents. But what should he do about school? He couldn't just attend school like a regular kid again could he?

"Don't worry about school," Mizuki said to his surprise. "As long as you're on school grounds, you'll have my protection. Rias Gremory and her devils wouldn't dare touch you."

"S-Sensei, are you reading my mind or something?" Ryusei looked at her with concern.

"Of course not," She waved her hand and smiled. "I just assumed you would be concerned, right?"

"I guess you're right," Ryusei sighed.

"Don't worry," Mizuki grinned. "Nobody will hurt you, not as long as I'm around."

Ryusei looked at her with his eyes shot open. How long has it been since anyone's said that to him? What was this feeling in his heart? Did he feel protected now that she was here? Why was he feeling this? He didn't even know who or what sensei was, and yet he was going to be spending the night at her house.

"Things are gonna get complicated, aren't they sensei?" Ryusei sighed and slouched.

Instead of an answer, she just looked to him with a playful and mischievous smile.

**…**

Issei sat quietly in Ryusei's room. On the desk in front of him were all the talisman that he and Asia had collected on Rias's orders. This day has been a long one, all of these events made Issei want to curl up into a ball and die. Why was all of this happening? He just wanted his brother back, but he didn't want this. Now Ryu was a wanted criminal by the devils and possibly every other race in the city. What was he going to do?

Issei grabbed his left forearm. The hidden power the Red Dragon Emperor sealed in his arm. Ever since his fight with Raynare and saving Asia, he's felt more and more powering surfacing since then. And especially around Ryu, he's felt waves and waves of power. Every time he was around Ryu, his arm began to throb in pain, and yet he somehow felt more power from it. What the hell was this?

Rias told him about the Red Dragon Emperor. One of two Longinus Sacred Gear that had dragons sealed into them, fated to fight one another every generation. As if he didn't have enough to deal with, he was supposed to worry about some guy popping up out of nowhere to fight him to the death.

Issei looked to the talisman. Talisman and shikigami were tools used by two distinct organizations that were supposed to be kept as one of the biggest secrets within the supernatural world. The exorcists of the Vatican, and the assassins of the Assassin's Order. Rias and Akeno told he and Asia everything they knew about the Assassin's Order, which was extremely little to no information other than the name and that they were extremely skilled and dangerous humans…and that Ryusei is a member of that Order.

A knock at the door woke Issei from his thoughts. "Issei-San, may I come in?"

"A-Asia," Issei cleared his throat. "Yeah, come on in."

Asia was dressed in just an oversized T-shirt and had a concerned look on her face. She walked over and sat next to him on the bed.

"I hope he's doing okay," Asia said.

Issei looked at her. "W-What?"

"I know he's supposed to be a criminal, but I really can't see him as one," Asia managed to muster a smile, possibly for Issei's sake.

"He's my brother, I've known him all my life," Issei balled his fist. "I want to believe that he has a reason for all of this…I mean he saved that girl in the warehouse didn't he?"

"Speaking of which, Issei-San," Asia said. "Why was there a human girl there? Wasn't it kind of dangerous for her to be there?"

Issei felt like he had been hit in the face with a brick. Why was there a human girl there in the first place? Rias had contacted them and told him the plan so quickly that he didn't even have time to process it all. That girl…would Rias really be ruthless enough to put a normal girl like that in so much danger? Is that why Ryusei didn't fight them? He took off with her…avoiding fighting in order to protect a single person…

"Ryusei…" Issei said. "He's always looking out for people." A smile managed to surface on his face. "I guess that's who he's always been."

"Issei-San?"

"You're right, Asia," Issei smiled. "I can't think of him as some criminal. No matter what he's done, I know that my brother has his reasons."

**"Yes, that's the right reaction." **

Issei shot to his feet. "Who said that?"

"Issei-San? What's going on?"

He looked back to her. Did she not hear that voice? What the hell was going on?

**"Calm down, human. I'm speaking to you through the Boosted Gear." **

"The…Boosted Gear?" Issei looked at his hand. The back of his hand was starting to glow green, and then unconsciously the Boosted Gear manifested. His left forearm had transformed into a dragon's arm, a red metallic gauntlet with claws instead of fingers and a green jewel at the center.

**"Make contact with the girl, human. It would be in the best interest for the both of you to hear what I have to say." **

Issei gulped. He sat back down and grabbed Asia's hand, to her blushing face. "Issei-San, what's going on?"

"It's the dragon, the dragon in the Boosted Gear." He said. "He wants to talk to us."

**"I am known as Ddraig, the Welsh Dragon." **The dragon said in their minds. **"It seems as though that boy, Hyoudou Ryusei, has it rough right about now." **

"You know my brother?" Issei asked.

**"The man who managed to tame one of the last remaining Dragon Gods, I know of him quite well," **Ddraig explained. **"While I hold a great grudge to anyone who would do my brothers and sisters harm, it seems as though the dragon he managed to tame is quite at ease with her position, or at least is dormant right now. If possible, I wish for that boy to not be killed by your kind." **

"You mean…Prez is going to kill Ryusei-Kun?" Asia asked, tears welling in her eyes.

**"It might not be her choice, Twilight Healing," **Ddraig said. **"There is another person in the Underworld orchestrating the strings, the Devil King Lucifer if I had to guess." **

"Lucifer? Isn't he-" Issei gulped.

**"The brother of the one you call 'prez'. If someone as high up as a Devil King is backing the hunt for this boy, I'm afraid it might be…" **

However Ddraig stopped mid sentence.

"Ddraig? What's wrong?" Issei asked.

**"Your brother has come in contact with quite the interesting individual,"** Was it just Issei or did Ddraig just snicker? **"Worry not about your brother's safety, Hyoudou Issei, at least for the time being. For now, the two of you must find your resolve." **

"Our resolve?" Asia asked. "What do you mean, Ddraig-San?"

**"Your little brother is in quite the predicament." **Ddraig said. **"He's currently a wanted criminal from the Devil Faction, and very soon by the Angels, as well as the majority of the Vampires in this town. He's also a person of interest for the Fairy Court, as well as the werewolves. And now he's in the hands of a powerful Angel…I would be lying if I said I wasn't interested in the outcome of these future events." **

"D-Draig? What are you-"

**"Strengthen your resolve, Hyoudou Issei, Asia Argento," **Ddraig said. **"Will you side with the brother you've known for all your life, or with the woman who saved your life? Well either way, it should be interesting." **

"Ddraig…" Issei knew he was right. It was all coming to one decision. What should he do? Ryusei was his little brother…the little brother he'd lost for five years and thought he was dead. Having him back now brought him untold joy and bless. To lose him again…he didn't know if he could handle that kind of heartbreak.

But on the other side, Rias saved his life. If she hadn't reincarnated him that day in the park, he would died and never have met Ryusei again. Dammit why did it have to come to this…

Just like that, his arm returned to normal and Ddraig went quiet. Issei and Asia were left alone in silence, Ddraig's words cutting them like a hot knife. Asia must be feeling it too…she shouldn't have to be put in this situation. She didn't have to be with him, she would be safer with Rias.

"Asia, I-"

"What should we do, Issei-San?" Asia asked.

Issei fumbled his words. "W-What?"

"Ryusei-Kun…he must be suffering right now, isn't he?" She said. "It must have been hard, to turn your back on your family to do what you think is right. It brings me great joy to hear that he's with someone who can protect him, but even so…even so I…I don't want to just turn my back on him."

"Do you know what you're saying, Asia?" Issei asked. "If we do this, we'll be turning our backs on Rias and the others. We'll be the same as Ryu in the eyes of the Devils. We'll be criminals."

"You've shown me so much kindness, Issei-San," Asia cupped her hands around his head. "You saved me from a horrible fate, thanks to you and prez, I was able to start over with a new life. You, your mother and your father, and Ryusei-Kun…you're all my new family. As much as it pains me to hurt Rias…I can't turn my back on my family, even if they do."

What was going on? Was Asia always so resolved? He felt so pathetic. He wanted to punch himself in the face a million times over. Here he was, sulking and torturing himself in what decision to make, and Asia had already strengthened her heart. She was ready to throw everything away for the sake of his brother…_his _brother. That's right…Ryusei was _his_ brother.

"You're right, Asia," Issei took her hand. "You're absolutely right."

"Eh? Issei-San?" Asia asked as he pulled her into a warm embrace.

"Thank you, Asia. Thank you." Issei hugged her tight, hoping that he can absorb some of her confidence, confidence that he knew he had a long way before gaining on his own.

Issei stood up and balled his left fist. "Ddraig, you can hear me right? What do I have to do?"

His Boosted Gear manifested. **"HAHA, that didn't take you long at all, Issei. It makes sense that you are in possession of me." **

"Don't tease me," Issei pouted.

**"Seek out the Angel of Death," **Ddraig said to his surprise. **"The disgraced Angel who fell from Heaven, but is not a Fallen Angel. She will guide you." **

"Angel…of Death?" Issei gulped.

"Issei-san?" Asia asked. "Who is this, Angel of Death? Aren't Angels beings of good?"

**"Her optimism is respectable, but naive nonetheless," **Ddraig said. **"That's all I can tell you, partner. But a warning, for you and the girl, and you might want to pass this on when you find them." **

Issei began to have a bad feeling.

**"There is…something, headed towards this town. It is a being of great power, a power that will swallow up the world." **

Issei gulped. "What is it?"

**"The tamer of the other Dragon God on the island of Lian-Yu," **Ddraig explained. **"The one known as…The Reaper." **

"The Reaper?" Issei asked. "That's not a good sign."

**"Not at all, but I'm afraid that's not all that's headed towards this unfortunate town," **Ddraig said. **"The actions of your brother have attracted the attention of the Vatican and it's exorcists, as well as Masiaf and their annoying assassins. There will be extremely tough battles in the future, partner. Make sure you're ready, and don't die. I'll be in trouble if my partner dies on me so easily." **

Issei suddenly found the courage to talk back to this horrifying news. "D-Don't underestimate me, you stupid dragon."

**"HAHAHA, I suppose I shouldn't. I'll be watching out for you, partner. Good luck." **

"Yeah. Thank you, Ddraig."

**Author's Note - Left out the flashback for this chapter since I felt like it wasn't doing much. I might just reveal Ryusei's backstory on the island through various characters or through exposition later on. Kind of an early update but I don't really feel burned out and I couldn't wait so, I hope you guys enjoy :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Reviews - Thank you so much to everyone who left a review, but there's quite a bit so I can't reply to everyone. Thank you for leaving me resource materials for furthering this story, I hope I make you proud by integrating everything I find. I can't tell you guys how happy it makes me that so many people like my little concoction, and if you're confused about anything, I hope your concerns will be resolved in later chapters. If you have any suggestions or questions, feel free to PM me so I can answer in detail without spoiling in this section. Thank you everybody! **

**6**

"Sensei, is this really your apartment?" Ryusei gulped as he walked inside this fortress that's supposedly his teacher's apartment.

Walking into it felt normal enough, a small hallway for your shoes leading into the living room. To the left of the hallway was the bathroom and to the right of that was a little storage closet. The living room was rather small, obviously meant for one person to live in. She had a single table with no seats but cushions on the floor. In the corner of the room was her bed and across the room was a television.

It looked normal enough, so why did Ryusei felt like he had just walked into the most protected room in all of creation? Every nook and cranny of this room was laced with extremely precise talisman and warding sigils, he could see them through the walls but understood not even a single sigil. It was old, extremely old sigils. He thought he had seen all of the ancient language warding techniques, but this was something else entirely.

"Yeah I know," Mizuki scratched her head. "It's kind of cramped, but we'll just have to make do."

"No, it's not that," Ryusei gulped once again. "I'm extremely grateful, sensei. Thank you."

"Don't be so formal you idiot," Mizuki sighed. She walked in and took off her shoes, running and jumping onto the bed. "Ah! It's been such a long day, you're so comfy I can die here and not complain."

Ryusei looked around, but not a single weapon laying around despite the wardings up. Was she hiding them extremely carefully? Or was she just that confident in her warding that no one will find them? Either way, Ryusei got the feeling that he shouldn't be messing with this woman in any way.

"By the way," Mizuki said as Ryusei took a seat on the floor. "Are you sure you didn't want to check up on Nagase? I thought you would sympathized with someone who lost a sibling and finally got them back."

"You'd think so, but I don't want him involved in this world," Ryusei sighed. "He's had enough to deal with this year, putting in the middle of all this politics and scary stuff wouldn't be healthy. That goes for Emi too."

"I think you might be too late," As soon as she finished, the doorbell rang.

"Sensei! Kamiya-Sensei! Are you home? Please open up!"

That voice…Hiro? Ryusei suddenly got a sinking feeling in his stomach.

Mizuki got out of bed and walked over to the door. Opening it, Hiro stood at the door with Hina, who was still scared and worried.

"Sensei! Hina's home!" Hiro had an uncharacteristically bright smile on his face. "She told me someone in a hood named Kabuki saved her. I was wondering if you could see if she's healthy…all that time…"

"Ryusei, looks like we're going to have more guests," Mizuki smirked before letting them in.

"Ryusei?" Hiro raised an eyebrow as he took off his shoes. "What are you doing here?"

"I…Uh….Sensei?" Ryusei panicked and looked to Mizuki.

"I happened to be walking around the neighborhood when I found him walking home," Sensei lied ever so gracefully. "It seems as though he and his brother got in a little fight so I let him stay here for a bit."

"But, can we do this with Ryusei here?" Hiro whispered.

"Don't worry, he knows all about it," Mizuki smirked.

"I guess…you can say that," Ryusei smiled awkwardly and scratched the back of his head.

Hina poked her head from behind Hiro and stared at Ryusei for a second. This was bad…

"AH! You're-" Hina seemed to caught herself before she could finish, that or she bit her tongue by accident and covered her mouth.

"Hina? Do you know Ryusei?" Hiro asked, his confusion seeming to grow by the second.

Hina shook her head. "I was on the street when he found me and walked me home. I didn't know you and my brother were friends."

Was she always this good at lying?

"So?" Mizuki said, sitting at her desk. "What did you want me to do?"

"Well…" Hiro took Hina's hand. "She's been gone for awhile, so I wanted to know if she's alright. You know, if she has any magic sickness."

Ryusei stood up and walked over to Hina. "Don't worry sensei, I can handle this one."

"Go right ahead, hotshot," Mizuki smirked and rested her head on her palm.

Hiro backed away as Hina seemed to be nervous, her face beet red. She was still wearing the cloak that he had given her, in fact she couldn't seem to let go of it.

"Relax, Hina-Chan, this isn't going to hurt at all," Ryusei gave her a reassuring smile.

Hina took a deep breath. "It's okay. I'm not scared. I'm not scared at all."

Ryusei smiled. "Okay, now I want you to extend your arms out to your side and stand as straight as possible."

She did as told. Ryusei unclipped a pouch on his belt as swarms of shishigami flew out. They attached themselves onto Hina's major joints, as well as the spots the major mana points.

"Sensei…" Ryusei said. "The venom's already begun to spread."

"V-Venom?" Hiro shot forward. "Ryusei, what do you mean? What's going to happen to Hina?"

"It's vampire venom," Mizuki explained. "Secreted from their fangs, once inside a human's bloodstream, it'll spread all over her body until it constricts the heart and stops it. This could be a problem."

Hiro dropped to the floor. "Hina…I just got you back, I can't lose her again."

"Nii-Chan…" Hina said. "I'm going to be okay?" She said with tears in her eyes. "Just you watch, Nii-Chan. I'm going to be just okay."

"Ryusei…is there anything…" Hiro asked.

"There is one thing," Ryusei said. "But it's extremely risky, so the decision will have to be up to the both of you."

"What do we have to do?" Hiro asked.

"A blood transfusion, but on another scale." Mizuki finished. "That's what you're getting at, right?"

Ryusei nodded. "We use two magic circles. One to drain the blood from Hina's body, while simultaneously injecting your own blood into her body. Her system's already been infused with the magic of whoever bit her, but we can take care of the venom this way."

"Will it really work?" Hiro asked, his eyes full of desperation.

"I don't know, but it's the only chance we have unless we let her turn into a vampire," Ryusei said. "But Hiro, this is extremely dangerous for you. If too much blood is drained from you, you might die."

"I don't care," Hiro balled his fist and stood up. "She's my sister, I'd do anything to save her. I don't care about my life."

Ryusei stepped back. What was this? Why was he suddenly thinking about Issei? Hiro…he's just a human who was trying to save his sister, and yet what was this he was feeling? It couldn't be a magic pressure could it? If it was…having him leave this world was already too late. Was this what Mizuki meant? Was it really too late for them to have a normal life?

"Very well then, looks like it's been decided," Mizuki stood up. "We can't do it tonight, too much going on with the other races. Meet me tomorrow in the clubroom, at 10 AM." Mizuki looked to Hina. "Bring that cloak with you when you come. It has a cloaking ability endowed into it. You won't be tracked this way."

"T-Thank you," Hina cowered behind her brother.

"I'll walk you two home, come on," Mizuki urged them towards the door. "Ryusei, take a shower and go to bed. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

"W-Wait! You're going to leave me here alone?" Ryusei protested.

"What's wrong?" She smirked. "Never been in a girl's room by yourself? Try not to sniff my panties while. I think they should be pretty safe in the top drawer over there."

"DON'T TELL ME THAT!" Ryusei threw a pillow at her.

As the three of them left, Ryusei leaned against the wall next to the bed and closed his eyes. So much is happening so quick. He didn't even plan for his secret to be out so quickly. What was he supposed to do now? He needed to mend things with Issei and Asia at least…but now he has to worry about the Fairy Court and the wolf pack. Either way, he didn't understand why he was being targeted by the devils. Why would they be so quick to kill him…he hadn't hurt a single devil since coming here. Something else must be up…

His eyes shot open as he sensed it. Coming towards Kuoh, just outside of the city borders. There were two magic pressures, nothing too extreme or powerful, and yet…somehow, one of them felt oddly familiar.

**…**

Emi was in her room studying. Her desk was a complete mess, with papers scattered everywhere and textbooks opened and bookmarked. She had scoured every history book and ancient text she could get her hands on, but she's found nothing useful. The organization hidden in the shadows of humanity, the Assassins' Order.

It's been five years now that her older sister had gone missing. Her father had spent all of the Himegami's family fortune finding her. Every clue he could find about the plane route, explorations into the area where they crashed, even hired dozens of private investigators and pulled strings with the FBI, but nothing. Now they were left with little to no money, on the brink of bankruptcy and now of all times, he seems to have given up.

Emi pulled open her desk drawer. The only item in it was a letter…a letter from Airi, sent two years ago. She never told her father, seeing as he would have gone absolutely mad if he knew she was out there and didn't come home.

Taking it out and looking at it, Emi remembered just how much trouble this one letter had given her. There was only one thing written in it, a single sentence that gave Emi hope, and yet an overwhelming sensation of fear.

_The Assassins are coming Emi, be careful of who you can trust. _

There was no return address and no stamp, so it could have been from anybody. But she knew it had to be from Airi, it was her handwriting. She wondered what her sister had been up to all these years. Emi's spent the better part of five years gathering any information on the assassins, anything from fictional texts to historical accounts.

Emi pulled out her notebook and flipped through. From everything she could find, the assassins were a group of mercenaries and bandits who formed to combat the Knights Templar in the early crusades, at least that's what it said in the history books. But if Airi was telling her to be careful, then maybe there was more to it then just the historical documents.

While diving deeper and deeper into this mystery, Emi also uncovered the truth of this world. A world full of monsters from every work of fiction in the world, vampires and werewolves, fairies and djinn, even the ancient gods from creation myths all over the world. They were all true. All the stories she had read about the boogeyman and monsters in her closet…everything was true.

She laid her head on her table. What would Hiro and Ryusei think of they knew about this.

"Ryusei…"

What was it about him? He had disappeared five years ago, on a plane crash, but now he's back. Did he have any connection to what happened to Airi? If he survived…maybe Airi did too.

Ryusei was her linchpin. The only piece of the puzzle she had to figure out. If he really was on that plane, the same plane as Airi, then maybe he knows what's going on. He survived and was able to return home, and yet…and yet why did he look so sad and beaten down? What exactly happened?

A knock at her door. "Lady Emi, dinner is ready."

"Come in Satsuki," Emi sat up and pushed away all her papers and notebooks.

Satsuki walked in with a cart of food. Minamiya Satsuki was her personal maid. Her father had hired her years ago to look after her while he was away on his trips and explorations to find Airi. She's the only person who knows about Emi's search, all her research and findings.

"You shouldn't be staying up late, Lady Emi," Satsuki put a plate of steak on her desk. "It's not good for your skin."

"Where's my father?" Emi asked.

"At a business meeting, he'll be home late again I'm afraid," Satsuki said.

Emi looked at Satsuki while she ate. She could never get past the fact that someone so beautiful was working as a maid. Satsuki has long flowing pink hair and matching eyes. She had fair skin and a curvy body. She could be a model if she wanted…so why was she stuck as a maid?

"Lady Emi?" Satsuki raised an eyebrow. "Is something the matter?"

"N-No, nothing," Emi smiled.

"Did you find anything?" She asked.

"Nothing useful, or at least nothing I don't already know," Emi sighed. "How can such an influential organization stay hidden for all this time? It just seems weird."

"Well this is a world of magic after all," Satsuki said. "The realm of impossibility is something that was achieved long ago."

"Wise as always I see," Emi pouted. "Do you know anything, Satsuki?"

"Well from what I've gathered," Satsuki said. "The Order is a long guarded secret, taking in members either by birthright or by inductions from their own members. If they have access to magic, it's no wonder why they've stayed hidden for so long."

"How do you even know that?" Emi raised an eyebrow.

"Assumptions, I suppose Lady Emi," Satsuki giggled. "But what I am concerned with, is what will happen to you if people found out you're researching the Assassins."

Emi froze up. "What do you mean?"

"If this organization really has been kept in the secrets and shadows of the world, don't you think they'd take any normal person researching them as a threat?" Satsuki asked. "By my estimate, they'd probably figure out that someone was researching them about now."

"What are you trying to say, Satsuki?" Emi asked, her eyes narrowed with curiosity.

"I mean," Satsuki twirled her hair. "We should move forward from this point with the upmost caution, Lady Emi."

Why hadn't she thought about this before? Was she an idiot? Of course they'd figure it out…an organization so secretive, of course they'd keep track of everyone who was researching them. This was bad…if they really were…it meant she would be a target.

"It's only a matter of time then, isn't it?" Emi leaned back on her chair.

**…**

Right about now, school seemed like the furthest thing on Ryusei's mind.

He didn't know if he could trust Mizuki's promise about him being safe in school, but somehow this was the only place in the world he could really feel at peace. In this school, despite the numerous amounts of Devils around him, he felt like he was able to finally be himself.

Turns out Koneko wasn't in class, and though Ryusei was curious what had happened to her, he figured it was for the best.

As for Hiro, he seems to be in a better mood now that Hina had returned home. She still had vampire venom in her system, but the blood transfusion today should help. It was a major risk seeing as he had never performed one before, so he could only hope that Mizuki knew what she was doing.

After class had ended, he stared off out the window and into the city. Now that all of this unwanted attention was on his back, he hadn't had a single day to do his work. There's been djinn movement in the city, people making backdoor wishes and getting their souls taken as a result of their ignorance. Extorting humans like this was disgusting, it made Ryusei sick to his stomach.

"Hey, Ryusei?"

Emi stood behind him with her hands on her hips, looking at him with confusion. "What's up with you and Hiro? You're suddenly all gloomy while Mr. Professional over there is as happy as I've ever seen him. What the hell happened?"

"Happy…huh?" Ryusei looked over to Hiro, who was helping some students with their work with a bright smile on his face. "It's nothing, just a lot's happened to both of us, I guess."

"You know," Emi crossed her arms. "We're friends right? So I'd appreciate it if you at least let me in once in awhile. It's bad enough that Hiro's so private, but I thought you were different."

"Sorry, Emi," Ryusei mustered a smile. "It's not something I want to talk about yet, I'm sorry."

"Does it…" Emi lowered her head. "Does it have to do with that scar on your chin?"

Ryusei opened his eyes. He felt the scar from the left side of his chin, up his cheek, to the bottom of his nose. "Something like that…I guess."

"Ryusei…" Emi said. "Were you…on an island called Lian-Yu?"

Ryusei felt his heart stop. "W…What?"

"Lian-Yu," Emi explained. "It's an island in the south China sea, isn't it? Is that island where you crash landed five years ago?"

His body was betraying him. How did she know? What the hell was this? Emi…how did she know about Lian-Yu? What else does she know? Why did Emi have to get herself involved too? Hiro was an inevitable by product because of his circumstances…but Emi. Emi was the last person he wanted to drag into this world.

"Emi…I-"

"Hyoudou! Nagase! Come with me," Mizuki called out to him.

Ryusei stood up. "I'm sorry, Emi. We'll talk later okay? I promise."

He felt horrible, completely horrible. He walked past Emi without saying another word and joined Hiro as the two walked with Mizuki to the science club room.

"Ryusei?" Hiro asked. "Everything okay? You're as pale as a ghost."

"It's nothing," He forced his emotions to subside to avoid anything unnecessary. "Where's Hina? Is she coming?"

"She should be here soon," Hiro smiled and fixed his glasses. "I'll go out to the front gate to get her once she texts me." Just then, Hiro's phone rang. "Speak of the devil. I'll see you in a bit."

Ryusei walked up to join Mizuki as Hiro left. "Sensei, do you know anything about the Assassins? You speak of me…and that debt you ow, what do you know?"

"That's quite the question," Mizuki snickered. "I guess you can say, I've been there since the beginning."

"The beginning?" Ryusei asked. "You mean you were there when the Order was founded? But that was over a thousand years ago, you couldn't have-"

"You made a grave mistake if you thought I was just a regular human, Ryusei," Mizuki said. "Or if I was just some immortal with a lot of knowledge. I'm afraid my life has been far worse than that…"

"What…what do you mean?" Ryusei gulped.

"The Assassins were founded on the belief that humanity should be able to retain it's free will," Mizuki explained.

He knew of this, the legend of how their Order came to be. During the Great War, humanity was subjugated as slaves and soldiers to fight, drafted by the three major factions at the time. Eventually, a knight serving under Heaven prayed for salvation, and his prayers were answered in the form of an Angel who liberated a group of soldiers and gifted them with power.

"That's story's been beat into me a thousand times over," Ryusei snickered. "My masters and teachers never once went a day without telling me of that story."

"Your masters were right to do so," Mizuki said. "Eventually the Order grew and grew, recruiting more and more members as the decades past the Mentors changed. They developed their own culture, gained their own land, the children of the first Assassins went on to have children of their own and so forth."

"Masyaf," Ryusei said. "The fortress that served as our base in the beginning, but eventually grew into an entire country. Warded along the borders to mask it as a third world country to avoid unnecessary attention. It adheres to the tenets too."

"Hide in plain sight, huh?" Mizuki snickered. "You Assassins and your rules."

"We have to take it seriously," Ryusei pouted. "One of our ancestors broke the tenets and was striped of his ranks you know. I hear it took him years to regain everything and eventually became Mentor."

"I've heard of him, yes," Mizuki smiled. "He was always the wise and noble sage."

As they rounded the corner of the fourth floor, they ran into the last two people Ryusei wanted to see right now. Issei and Asia looked at him and Mizuki, surprised and rather spooked.

"Ryu…" Issei said, reaching forward but stopping himself before he could touch him. "H-How have you been? You haven't been home in awhile, are you okay?"

"Yeah…" Ryusei said.

"Ryuse-Kun," Asia stepped forward. "We believe in you."

Ryusei fumbled back. "What? What do you-"

"Whatever it takes, Ryu." Issei balled his fist. "We'll figure out what's going on with the Devils. We don't believe you're a criminal, you're my little brother so you'd never do anything without a good reason."

"We're family, Ryusei-Kun," Asia smiled. "We love you very much, that's why we won't give up on you."

Issei walked forward and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Leave it to us, little brother."

Ryusei was at a complete loss for words. Of all the things he had planned to do to reconnect with them, he had never once stopped to think that they would make the first moves. Has Issei really grown up this much in five years?

"Y-Yeah…thank you," Ryusei said as Issei and Asia walked past them.

"And sensei," Issei said. "I'm leaving my brother in your hands for now. Please protect him."

"Leave that to me, Red Dragon Emperor," Mizuki smirked.

That name…The Red Dragon Emperor. Ryusei looked back to Issei, but he had already left with Asia. Was it possible? His brother is really the Red Dragon Emperor? Was his whole family just messed up? If Issei really is the Red Dragon Emperor…that would mean _he's_ going to make his presence known soon.

"C'mon," Mizuki started walking. "We'd better get to the club room."

Minutes after Ryusei and Mizuki had set everything up in the club room, clearing the room of the desks and drawing twin magic circles on the ground and linking with a magic stone, Hiro and Hina arrived.

"Sensei, Ryusei, we're back," Hiro walked in with Hina behind them.

She was looking a lot better. Her hair was tied into twin tails and her skin was much clearer. The bags under her eyes were gone, and she looked overall happier.

"Ryusei-San," Hina smiled.

"I'm happy to see you're doing better," Ryusei patted her head. "Are you ready to do this?"

Hina nodded with determination. "I am."

"Alright then folks, let's get this party started," Mizuki clapped her hands. "I want the two of you to take off your blazers and jackets and stand in the middle of each circle. Ryusei and I will do the work, but the two of you have to remain perfectly still."

Hiro and Hina nodded and did as instructed. Ryusei and Mizuki took their positions. "Ready?" Mizuki asked. "Then let's do it."

As the two of them pressed their hands on the ground, and the magic circles began to glow. The spell was taking affected, and the blood transfusion began.

**…**

Emi stood around the corner from the fourth floor science club.

Is this where Ryusei and Hiro were going? Why would they be going there? She understood why Hiro would go seeing as he was a member, but Ryusei? And that girl that was with Hiro…they looked alike so maybe siblings? All of this was bringing up way more questions than answers.

"Those jerks," Emi slid down the wall and pulled her knees to her chest. "Why are they always leaving be behind?"

She was so sick of it. This fake persona of being a happy go-lucky girl. All it had caused her was pain, pain from making friends who were never really her friends. Losing Airi was already hard enough on her, but she thought she had finally found friends in Ryusei and Hiro. Even though he was a bit secretive and a hardass, Hiro was a nice guy who always looked out for her. And even though he was new, Ryusei seemed to be someone she could trust and talk to openly. And yet now they were both keeping secrets from her too.

What was she supposed to do? She was all alone now. Hiro and Ryusei got so close all of a sudden, it felt like they were leaving her behind like Airi did. Dammit what the hell was she supposed to do!

"Himegami Emi."

She looked up and felt the blood drain from her body. Standing before her was two figures cloaked in a black robe with a hood covering their faces. The voice was feminine, but what the hell was she feeling? It felt like her body was being pressed together, unable to move or even make a sound.

"Xenovia, you're releasing too much magic pressure." The figure behind said. "She won't be able to speak."

"Ah! Apologies," The figure in front stepped back, and Emi felt her heart beat again.

Emi stood up and faced the two of them. What was this feeling in her heart? It was like she was standing in front of two angels…and yet this looming dread hung over her like a constant reminder of death.

"Who are you guys?" Emi asked. "Are you with the Order? Are you here to kill me?"

"The Order?" The figure behind asked. "What are you-"

"Irina, shut up," The one in front, Xenovia, held out her hand. Glimpsing underneath the cloak, Xenovia was wearing a skin tight black leather battle gear with matching gauntlets on her arms. "Himegami Emi, we'd like to ask what you know about a certain person responsible for a string of incidents."

"Incidents?" Were they talking about the murder of Garo Motoyama? It was all over the news. The head of a construction company was murdered in a church along with his men, but the supernatural world knows Garo Motoyama as the head of the Kuoh Vampire Clan.

"We have reasons to believe that this person is a student in this school," Xenovia explained. "Strange magic pressures have been sensed all around the school, but mainly originating from this school. And you don't seem to be a regular human, so can you tell us anything?"

"What do you mean?" Emi asked, stringing them along in order to see if she could get any more information.

"Well, something like," The girl behind, Irina, said. "Like someone like a new transfer student? Or someone who you might think is kind of strange or…I don't know really."

"You're as bad as explaining as ever, Irina," Xenovia sighed.

"Give me a break!" Irina shot her arms down, and in doing so her hood fell back. Emi was looking at the face of a beautiful girl with long chestnut colored hair and dazzling violet eyes. Her skin was on the pale side, but it paired incredibly well with her hair color. Why were all these girls so beautiful? She reminded Emi of Satsuki to an extent.

"Idiot," Xenovia sighed and removed her hood. This one was a looker as well. Short but vibrant blue hair with a streak of sea green, with bright brown eyes. "Listen, we know this is kind of sudden, but we need any information you can get. We believe this person is extremely dangerous."

Emi took a second to think. A new transfer student…kind of strange…it couldn't be. It was like a switch was flipped in her head. It was all making sense. Being secretive, being a new transfer student, coming back from the dead…was Ryusei actually this dangerous person? She had heard the rumors of a figure in white that was hunting down people in the supernatural community, but she hadn't made the connection since she was so obsessed with finding Airi.

"I-I'm afraid I don't anything," Emi gulped and did her best to lie. "I'm sorry."

"I see," Xenovia stepped back, clearly able to tell that Emi was lying. "Well if you find anything out, we'd appreciate it if you let us know. We'll be at the abandoned church in the east of the city."

Emi watched as Xenovia and Irina walked through the halls, her curiosity peeking even more. Two strange people wearing black robes, and not a single student bat and eyelash at this strange sight. Could they not see them?

"You gotta work on your interrogation, Irina," Xenovia sighed and put on her hood.

"Give me a break Xenovia," Irina put on hers. "Not everyone is as gloomy as you are."

Emi gulped, and turned back to the science club room. Was Ryusei…really this dangerous person who was hunting people?

**Author's Note - The pacing might be a bit slow, but I wanted to develop my OCs since this story is OC heavy (sorry if it's not your thing). I also plan to expand Ryusei's team with characters from different factions and organizations, but that'll be later on. Haven't decided if there will be a harem or if it'll be story driven, but let me know if you have suggestions. Feel free to PM me if you want to say anything. I hope you guys liked this chapter and I'll see you soon :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Oberon - I gotchu covered, harem coming up. **

**Guest - Thank you again as always my friend. **

**7**

Standing atop a treetop, gazing in the direction of the city known as Kuoh, Kurogane Eiji was greeted by one of his subordinates.

Appearing on one knee on a tree branch below him, Momo Morgenstern, had finally returned from her recon mission in Kuoh. Eiji found himself quite at peace now that his most trusted companion was back by his side.

"Reporting back, Captain Kurogane," Momo said. "It seems the Dragon Slayer is currently attending Kuoh Academy as a first year student. His older brother is a devil serving under Rias Gremory, rank currently unknown."

"I see," This town was greatly guarded, just as Eiji expected. Domain of the revered Gremory Family, it has roots in Devil influences dating back hundreds of years to it's first days. To think that such a city would eventually become home to so many of the Shadow World denizens, he supposed it was quite inevitable.

"What shall we do, Captain," Momo asked.

"Where are the others?" Eiji asked.

"Sir, the rest of the vanguard forces are currently several miles away," Momo reported. "They should be here by nightfall."

"Then we shall wait until the rest of our forces arrive," Eiji jumped down to join her on the same branch.

It was kind of hard to believe that his childhood friend was now his subordinate. Eiji had known Momo since they were children, growing up together and training together. It was during their training years that both of their paths diverged; Momo being taken in by the Morgernstern family to train under the disciplines of an _infiltrator_ class. Eiji, on the other hand, had been adopted into the Kurogane family to train under the _Vashta Nerada_, the Assassin Order's top execution squad.

"Oh come on, raise your head Momo," Eiji giggled. "It's still weird to see you so obedient. It's so unlike you."

Momo lifted her head, her cheeks inflamed and her lips in a pouting motion. "You should take your rank more seriously, Captain Eiji. You're the newest leader of the execution squad. You won't be able to command attention if you're so nonchalant about everything."

"Oh please," Eiji grinned. "You and I both know exactly why I became Captain."

Yes, it was pretty obvious. The previous leader of the Vashta Nerada had gone rogue, betraying the Order and it's brotherhood. This is why they were here. Their Creed dictates that any traitors must be rid of to protect their secrets, no matter how close they had once been.

"Lover's quarrel huh?" A voice said from above them. "You two sure you should be so open? There could be other people around ya'know?"

Eiji looked up to see Reina Trueblood. She was already donned in her battle gear, though her beaked hood was falling off and her skirt was flipped as she was hanging upside down from a branch.

"Are you sure _you_ should be so open?" Eiji asked. "In some cultures, showing your panties so easily means you won't be able to get married, Reina."

Reina stumbled and fell on her butt on the branch that Eiji and Momo were on. Her long purple hair was messy and unkept as she rubbed her head.

"Reina, please show some respect to the Captain," Momo said with an aggressive tone.

"Come on Momo, there's no need for formalities yet," Eiji smiled to keep her calm. "Reina, where are the others?"

"Jessica and Henry are a few clicks out, they should be here soon," Reina fixed her posture and sat on her knees. It was always scary to see how she can switch between friendly mode and professional mode in a second. But he supposed she wasn't the top _infiltrator_ of the _Vashta Nerada_ for no reason.

Eiji ran a hand through his bright brown hair and stared off into the distance. "Under normal circumstances, I'd be happy to see Ryusei again."

"I have nothing but the steel of my blade for that traitor," Momo said.

"Hold back on the killing for awhile, Momo," Reina said. "We're about to see our old Captain again. Aren't you even a little bit excited?"

She wasn't showing it, but there was a part of her that was excited. Eiji knew how close Ryusei and Momo had been. While Hyoudou Ryusei was Captain, Momo Morgenstern was his second in command, his lieutenant. There had to be a part of her that was eager to see him again, even if it was to kill him.

"You due me injustice if you think I have any kind words to say to that man," Momo balled her fist.

Eiji sighed. "Alright, relax both of you. Our scouts tell us that there's someone in town who's doing research on our Order. Why don't you two go on ahead and deal with her. I'll wait here for the other two."

"Yessir!" Momo and Reina stood tall and placed a fist over their hearts.

"Momo, you'll be in charge," Eiji said. "Don't make any unnecessary kills, okay? I don't want the Council on my ass again."

Still maintaining her professionalism, Eiji could still see her cheeks get red. Reina poked her shoulder and held back her laughter. "I can't believe you killed the wrong guy on our last mission." Reina teased her.

Momo said nothing, simply motioning to her nodachi behind her back. Reina donned a terrified look.

"Okay! Okay! I apologize!" Reina clapped her hands together. "Put that thing away before someone gets hurt."

Eiji sighed. "Just be careful, okay?"

"Yessir," Momo said.

"Then go," Eiji waved his hand as the two vanished.

Eiji sat down and leaned back on the tree, smiling as he thought about the times he spent with Ryusei. The three of them: Eiji, Momo, and Ryusei, were considered the top three assassins within the _Vashta Nerada_. Oh the times they spent together. Thinking back about it now brought Eiji much joy.

"I hope you're doing okay, Sei-Chan," Eiji smirked, playing and twirling his hair.

**…**

Issei had never felt this kind of nervousness in his entire life. Sitting here in the Occult Research Club with Asia, across from Rias, felt like he was in the presence of the Devil herself with what he had to say to her.

"So?" Rias asked sipping her tea. "You called out of no where and said you wanted to talk. Honestly you kind of surprised me."

"Prez…" Issei balled his fist. "Can you tell me the reason why Ryusei is labeled as a criminal? I still don't quite understand it all."

Rias set her tea cup down and crossed her legs. "To be completely honest with you, I personally don't consider him a criminal at all." She froze up when she looked at their faces. "I'm sorry, Issei, Asia. I didn't mean to come off so rude. I know that he's your brother and all."

"It's okay, prez," Asia said. "Please, we want to know."

Rias nodded. "Like I said, I personally don't consider him a criminal at all. His actions are actually quite noble. He came to the warehouse to save the prisoners kept there by the vampires as personal blood banks. He's saved dozens of people all over Kuoh within the three days he's been back. However…"

"However?" Issei gulped.

"For some unexplained reason," Rias narrowed her eyes. "His presence has been labeled as a first class threat. Orders came in from the top of the Underworld to apprehend Hyoudou Ryusei and to get any knowledge we can out of him."

"Orders? From who?" Asia asked.

Rias sighed. "The Devil King Lucifer, my brother. Sirzechs Lucifer."

Issei felt his heart racing now. So it wasn't just the Fairy Court or the werewolves, this was the reason why the Devils wanted Ryusei. But what kind of information could he give them? And more importantly…what kind of means would they go to to obtain that information.

"I protested the order myself," Rias said. "But it seems that they're very determined, Issei. There's not much leeway I can give…so," She looked at the two of them. "What did you want to talk about? It couldn't have been just this."

Issei gulped.

"Prez…it's actually…we…Issei-San and I-"

"We don't think this is right," Issei stood up and faced her, faced the woman who saved his life. "He hasn't done anything wrong…you said so yourself! He's done everything for the benefit of others, never taking anything for himself. And yet we're hunting him like he's some rabid animal who needs to be put down. I…I can't just sit by…and let you kill my brother…Prez…Prez I…"

"Ryusei-Kun is my brother too," Asia stood up and took Issei's hand. "He's my precious little brother who's still naive about the world now that he's back. I bet he has so many stories about those five years that he's just waiting to tell us when he's ready. He's a little bit of a dork and isn't honest with himself, but…but he's a good person at heart and I think that's all that matters."

"Issei…Asia…" Rias looked conflicted. "Are you sure about this?"

"We are," Asia replied, blowing Issei's expectations of her out the window. "You saved my life, Rias. When I was dead, when every part of my beliefs were destroyed and hopelessness drowned my every being, you saved me. You gave me a new opportunity at life, gave me a home and a place to come home to. I can never repay the kindness you showed me, but this is something that I have to do. Issei-San gave me a family, a family who loves me and who I love more than anything. I love you too, Rias…but…but I won't turn my back on my family."

"Asia…" Issei suddenly felt his cheeks redden. Had Asia always had this kind of determination in her? Ever since Ryusei came home, she's been acting a lot more womanly and passionate. Was it just because she was trying to act like an older sister? Issei didn't know but…but Asia suddenly got really attractive.

Rias stood up to face them, her eyes closed, however he could still feel the aura coming from her. "The two of you understand what you're saying, don't you? Going against me will mean that you'll become Stray Devils. The order will come down for me to kill you. Are you sure you have the resolve to do this? Are you sure you won't regret it?"

With that question, Asia's determination seemed to waver. Hell no, he wasn't about to let her tremble in this situation. He wasn't just going to sit back and watch as someone who just bore her heart out just quiver like this.

"We won't know until we try," Issei squeezed her hand. "We don't know what the future holds for us. Even if you become our enemy, even if you have to kill us…I just know that I have to stay true to what I feel. I know that I'd definitely regret it if I lose Ryusei again, not after I just got him back. It doesn't matter if you become our enemy, even if the world itself turns on us…I won't abandon my family."

Rias moved, walking around the coffee table and towards them. Issei was prepared for this. He braced himself for a slapping. She's mad, of course she'd be mad. She used up her pieces to reincarnate them, she put her faith in the two of them…and now they were going against her. Of course she was-

Rias swung her arms around their necks and pulled them into her chest for a warm embrace. Issei didn't know what to say, he didn't know what to think. What was she doing? He could feel the warmth of her body, the tiny trembles as she breathed.

"I love you, both of you, very much. I don't know what may become of us in the future, but make sure you two stay alive out there," Rias squeezed them tight. "Watch each others backs and keep each other safe. Uncover what's really going on, and maybe we can be a family again too."

"Prez…" Issei felt tears welling up in his eyes.

"Rias!" Asia broke down. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry!"

Rias shook her head. "Don't cry, and don't apologize. You're staying true to who you are, standing up to adversity for something you believe in. I couldn't be more proud of you, Asia. You've grown into a truly fine woman."

"Rias!" Asia grabbed her tight and cried her eyes out.

"And Issei…" Rias ruffled his hair. "You have so much room to grow. You're a complete ocean of potential waiting to be unleashed. Grow stronger, Issei. The next time we meet…I know you'll be so much stronger."

Issei found himself crying too. Rias Gremory…the woman who saved his life. Red, just like the color of his blood, but also the color of her hair. He didn't know what was to become of their relationship in the future, but he knew he would never forget her. He still had to repay the kindness she showed him, just like Asia said.

The doors suddenly opened up, and Kiba and Akeno arrived.

"Oh my," Akeno put a hand over her mouth. "What have we here?"

"Is everything okay?" Kiba asked.

Rias parted from them, wiping her tears away. "Issei and Asia are about to depart on their own journey."

"Journey?" Akeno asked.

"Prez, you don't mean-" Kiba gulped.

"Go, Issei, Asia," Rias said, turning away from them. "It's time for you to go."

"Prez…" Issei mustered. "Thank you for everything."

"Thank you, prez," Asia smiled.

Issei took Asia's hand and walked away, Kiba and Akeno parting a path for them. They rushed out of the club building and through the campus, making their way to the front gate before Issei stopped.

"Issei-San?" Asia asked. "Is everything okay?"

"Did we do the right thing, Asia?" Issei asked.

Asia walked forward and hugged him from behind, her breasts pressing against his. She tightened her hug. "I don't know, Issei-San, but whatever happens from now on, I'll be here by your side."

"Asia…" Issei gulped.

"Um…Hyoudou-Senpai."

Issei and Asia broke free from their hug and straightened out, stiff as a board as they faced the voice from behind. It was a girl, a first year student, with long blonde hair and brown eyes. "H-Hi? Sorry, do I know you?"

"My name is Himegami Emi. I'm in the same class as your brother," Emi said. "Senpai…do you mind if we talk while walking? There's something I want to ask you."

Reluctantly, Issei and Asia walked with Emi towards a local McDonald's and talked along the way. Emi explained that she's been researching what happened to her sister after she went missing five years ago. She seems to think that it has something to do with Ryusei since the same thing happened to him.

"To be completely honest, I have no idea what happened to him," Issei sighed. "I've always wanted to ask him, but if he's not ready to talk about it then it's not in my place to pressure him."

"I see," She didn't seem convinced with his reply. "How did you feel…when he disappeared? Were you sad? Angry? Grief-stricken? I felt all sorts of emotions after I found out my sister was gone. I couldn't mourn because I was so upset that she went without me. We…We buried an empty coffin."

"Himegami…" Issei said.

"Himegami-San," Asia wrapped her arm around her arm. "You shouldn't be so worried, I'm sure that if she's out there, your sister will come home soon."

"Do you…really think so?" Emi asked.

"Of course," Asia smiled.

"My, my, what a touching scene."

Issei froze up. What was this…this sudden magic pressure? He couldn't move…his body wouldn't react. It took all his strength just to look forward at who was in front of him.

It was two girls. They both wore a similar uniform to Ryusei's, a long white trench coat with a beaked hood over armor that was unique to the two of them. The girl on the right had pink a fiery head of red hair with the ends turning white, and braided over her shoulder and poked through her head and onto her chest. On her back was a long spear that looked intimidating as all hell. The girl on the left was about the same height, but had long dark purple hair and matching eyes, with a goofy smile on her face. Her weapon was similar to Ryusei's, a single short sword on the back of her waist.

"So you're his brother, huh?" The girl on the left smirked. "Gotta say, I thought you'd be a lot cuter. It's hard to see how you two are related."

"W-What?" Issei frowned. "How do you know Ryusei?"

"Issei-San…" Asia hid behind him, her body trembling out of fear.

"Enough chatter," The red haired girl stepped forward, taking her spear and pointing it at…Emi? "Himegami Emi, prepare to die."

"W-Wait! Hold on a minute, why-" Issei's left forearm manifested into the Boosted Gear as the green orb glew.

**"Assassins from the Order, huh?" **Ddraig snickered. **"I hadn't expected you to make a move here so soon." **

"This magic pressure," The purple haired girl narrowed her eyes. "The Red Dragon Emperor?"

"I see," The red haired girl said. "So that's why Rias Gremory reincarnated you. To think the Red Dragon Emperor has stooped so low as to reside within this boy. How far you've fallen, Ddraig."

**"Big talk from someone who lurks in the shadows," **Ddraig said. **"Your reputation is known even to me, Momo Morgenstern." **

"Morgenstern?" Issei gulped. "Ddraig, what's going on?"

**"Partner, you need to run," **The dragon said. **"At your current level, you'll be killed without even knowing how you died. These two are far stronger then you." **

"But I can't just-" He looked to Emi, who was speechless and in awe. "They're after Emi, Ryusei's friend. I can't just turn tail and run."

**"I have no desire for you to die here today, partner. If you truly wish to fight…" **Issei's right arm transformed into the arm of the dragon. Identical to the Boosted Gear, he felt an overwhelming surge of energy rushing through him.

"Asia, stay back with Emi," Issei found himself speaking with so much confidence, where the hell was this coming from? "Ddraig, do you think we can win?"

**"Like you said partner, we won't know unless we try." **

**…**

Ryusei fell on his butt and wiped the sweat off his forehead as the light from the magic circles dimmed. The spell was finally finished.

"Thank god we're done," Ryusei panted. "I didn't know how long I could keep it going."

He looked to Hiro, who was shaking and losing his balance. "H-Hiro!"

He fell to his side, but Mizuki caught him. "He's just a bit light headed from the blood. He'll be okay after he gets some rest."

She brought Hiro over to the front desk and laid him down. She scratched the back of her head as she turned to Hina. "Hina, how are you feeling?"

Hina looked perfectly fine, the color had returned to her face and she was smiling. "I feel okay. Am I supposed to feel different?"

"Whoever bit you injected his magic into your body, not just the venom," Mizuki explained. "Since it's already integrated itself into your body, there's nothing we can do to remove it. Looks like you're gonna have the ability to use magic now."

"I…can use, magic?" Hina looked at her hands.

"Don't get ahead of yourself now," Ryusei stood up and stretched before walking over to Hina and patting her head. "For now, let's just focus on recovering. We can worry about the details later."

Hina's face grew red as she nodded.

"Ryusei, have you noticed?" Mizuki asked, sitting down and crossing her legs.

He nodded. "They're in the city. The Vatican was faster than I thought. I thought I'd have a few more weeks before they came for me."

"Looks like they were in the school not an hour ago," Mizuki sighed. "Those fricking jackasses, putting all this work in front of me. I wish they'd just know better and stay out of this."

The Holy Church operated much like the Assassin's Order. Both are secret organizations who protect the world from forces beyond their control. They differ only because the Holy Church uses religion to recruit it's members. It's one of the teachings the Order had taught him, to look past the false teachings of man and devoting yourself to a god. Instead, devote yourself to yourself and only yourself.

"What are you guys talking about?" Hina asked. "Am I missing something here?"

"Your boyfriend here is a super secret assassin from an even more super secret organization of killers," Mizuki smirked.

"Don't put things so bluntly!" Ryusei growled. "And she's not my girlfriend!"

Hina looked at Ryusei with confused eyes. "Senpai…you're…an assassin?"

Ryusei suddenly grew awkward. "I-It's not like that. I kill bad guys. Well okay killing is bad, but it's not like that I swear!"

Hina covered her mouth as she giggled. "I believe you, Senpai. You saved me after all, so you can't be a bad person right?"

Ryusei blushed and scratched his head. "Well…I guess so."

"Wow, I can't believe you got yourself a girlfriend, Sei-Chan."

Ryusei recognized this sudden magic pressure. He quickly turned around to see a face he never thought he'd see again. Sitting in the back of the classroom, behind one of the desks, was a man in his early twenties with medium length light brown hair and golden eyes. He wore the assassin's robes…with the Captain's shoulder guard.

"E…Eiji-San," Ryusei gulped.

Hina cowered back behind Mizuki, who had stood up, ready to confront.

"It's been a long time hasn't it!" Eiji jumped from behind the desk and wrapped an arm around Ryusei's neck, grinding his fist into his head. "Not only did you leave, but you found yourself a girlfriend _and_ an angel. You're such a stud."

"E-Eiji-San!" Ryusei pushed himself away. "What are you doing here? _Why_ are you here?"

"You can't honestly tell me you're surprised, Sei-Chan," Eiji grinned and crossed his arms. "After what you did at Masyaf, you were bound to get us on your trail. I didn't think you'd head home though."

How did he get past the wardings in this room? Eiji was always an expert at stealth and infiltration, but this goes far beyond anything he expected. Has he really grown this much in all this time? Ryusei gulped…he was wearing the Captain's Guard for a reason.

"So you're Kurogane Eiji," Mizuki placed a hand on her waist. "While I am surprised you got past my wards and sigils, what impresses me is that I didn't even sense your presence at all. Your skills speak wonders of your reputation, Captain of the execution squad."

Ryusei gulped. So it's true then. Kurogane Eiji was promoted to Captain of the Order's execution squad…the _Vashta Nerada._

"I'm not here to fight, at least not yet anyway," Eiji grabbed a chair and sat down. "I didn't expect to see the Angel of Death here though. Gotta say, I'm genuinely surprised."

"Spare me your patronizing, Kurogane," Mizuki crossed her arms.

"But I mean it though," Eiji smirked. "I'm not here to fight you, Sei-Chan, not yet anyway. For now I just want to talk."

"About what?" Ryusei asked, his guard all the way up.

"The future," Eiji smiled. "Tell me, once you've killed off everyone on that list, what will you do then? Do you know the real purpose of that list? Why Merrick and Alicia left it to you?"

Ryusei gulped. "The names of people who are plummeting the world into darkness. I'm going to get rid of them all."

"Eh…Will you now?" Eiji leaned on the back of the chair and gave a maniacal smirk. "I hope you're sure about this, Sei-Chan."

"Why are you really here, Eiji-San?" Ryusei asked. "You didn't come all this way to talk."

"Momo was dispatched to observe you the second you returned to Kuoh," Eiji explained. "I'm sure you noticed her, but she's reported back to me every day. The Council has finally deemed you a threat, and therefore we're here to kill you and anyone you may have been affiliated with."

"We?" Mizuki asked.

As if on queue, two figures appeared behind Eiji. Their use of flashstep was astoundingly perfect, getting past the wards without so much as a sweat. Ryusei remembered these two, the up and coming assassins recruited after the London incident…Jessica and Henry Lovelace.

While Jessica was the younger sister, she was much more uptight and professional compared to the easy-going and laid back Henry. Both of them were of average height with short dark blue hair and teal eyes.

"It's been awhile hasn't it, Ryusei?" Henry waved at him. "We sure have missed you."

"Don't speak to the traitor in such a friendly tone, Henry," Jessica crossed her arms. "We're here to kill him, not be friends with him again."

"Must all of you be so professional?" Eiji sighed. "It wouldn't kill you to relax once in awhile Jessica." He stood up and stretched his arms back. "Well, since everyone's here, let's get this started shall we?"

Ryusei jumped back in front of the front desk and guarded Hiro's body. Mizuki seemed to be on edge as she protected Hina. Were they really going to fight here? Sure Ryusei had grown strong over these years, but he seriously doubt that Eiji hadn't gotten stronger. Jessica and Henry were one thing, but Eiji…

In the blink of an eye, Jessica had flashstepped from her position on the other side of the room to directly in front of Ryusei. He was able to counter by using the partial materialization of the bracelet to pull his nodachi from the container in his base to behind his back. Blocking the short sword from Jessica, he held her back.

"Jessica, don't do this," He pushed her back as she jumped to Eiji's side. "Henry, please. I don't want to hurt any of you."

"Orders are orders, Ryusei," Henry scratched his head. "You taught me that, didn't you?"

Ryusei bit his tongue. How was he going to win this? Fighting off three extremely skilled assassins while protecting two humans with Mizuki by his side. He didn't know how he was going to get out of this.

"Ryusei," Mizuki said.

She didn't need to say more. He suddenly felt it. The release of Issei's magic pressure. It was amazing, it was like a dragon's roar had deafened him. Was this really Issei's magic pressure? He wasn't 100% sure, but it felt familiar…warm and welcoming. It had to be. But he wasn't alone…he was facing two individuals…and this magic pressure…

"Momo," Ryusei suddenly realized.

"Bingo," Eiji held a finger up. "I had Momo and Reina kill your brother and that annoying little human who was researching us."

Human who was researching them? Who was he talking about?

"Don't even think about leaving, Sei-Chan," Eiji smirked. "I'm afraid I can't let you leave here, not alive anyway."

This was bad. Issei won't be able to handle fighting Momo, especially not if he hasn't mastered the Ddraig. And it seems as though Asia and a girl was with them…Momo wasn't alone either. Two on one against an untrained devil, this was majorly unfair.

Ryusei suddenly felt his heart being crushed as Eiji released his magic pressure. It was completely different from what it was back then…had he really grown this much in two years? So this was why he was promoted to the rank of Captain…Kurogane Eiji.

"Sensei," Ryusei said. "Please protect Hiro and Hina, at all costs."

"You don't have to tell me, but you can't seriously saying you'll fight them," Mizuki said. "Even for you, that's suicide."

"I don't have a choice," Ryusei gritted his teeth and donned his uniform through a magic circle. He only had one option left…Ryujin-Ichimonji. "Please…"

She was obviously conflicted, but sighed and nodded. "I understand. But don't you dare die on me. I'll kill you if you die."

Ryusei stuttered. "Y-Yes mam."

Ryusei placed his right hand on the grip of Ichimonji. He had absolutely no idea if he could handle _her_ power right now, but in his current condition he didn't have another choice. She was his only option.

"Hold it!" A voice echoed through the room.

The space in front of Ryusei suddenly began to wiggle and as if space had folded, a zipper appeared in the air and unzipped itself as a single figure walked out. It was Celeste, wearing a frilly dress with purple hair tied into a ponytail.

"Sorry, but I can't allow you to kill this one just yet," She crossed her arms and smirked. "If anything, _I'm_ going to kill him."

"C-Celeste…what are you-"

"Go," She said. "Your brother needs you, doesn't he?"

"But I can't just leave you here," Ryusei said.

"Don't give me that crap," Celeste sighed. "Do I look like someone who's going to lose to that sadistic weirdo and his goons? Now hurry up, grow a pair, and go save your brother. He won't last long…not against _that_."

What should he do? Now that Celeste was here, it was an even three on three. They might actually have a chance…but Issei. He won't be able to get to him in time…

"Go," Mizuki said to his surprise.

"S-Sensei…"

"Hurry up," She walked forward and joined Celeste. Hina ran behind the table and hid behind the desk with Hiro's body. "We won't tell you again."

He gritted his teeth. "Don't die!" He made a dash for the window.

"Not so fast!" Jessica was about to move when a magic circle opened and chains shot out to bind her. Mizuki had opened a magic circle? It was pure white like snow, and those chains…golden chains?

"W-What is this?" Jessica asked, struggling to even move.

Several other magic circles opened up, restraining Eiji and Henry.

"This is quite interesting," Eiji grinned.

Ryusei didn't hesitate, slashing the window and jumping out, running at full speed towards Issei's magic pressure.

**…**

Issei fell on one knee, struggling to breath, as he looked up at the girl. The other one had called her Momo. What the hell kind of monster is she? She easily evaded and deflected every close combat attack Issei made, and returning each of his attacks with unbelievable strength. She wasn't even using her lance, and she was using brute force to push him back. Was she even human?

"Issei-San!" Asia cried.

"Stay back!" Issei shouted.

This was bad. He wasn't running out of magic. But it was worse than that. She was just toying with him, testing him to see if he could really fight. She could have killed him much earlier and easier than just punching him to death. Maybe she really wasn't human after all.

"Stay down," Momo walked over and looked down on him. Her eyes were cold as ice despite being a bright and beautiful orange. "Don't make your death any more painful than it has to be."

"Are you kidding?" Issei snickered as he conjured every last ounce of strength he had left, forcing his body to move. He stood up, slowly and painfully, and held his fists up. Struggling to breath let alone speak, he smirked. "I can do this all day."

"You're either really brave," The girl behind Momo noted. "Or really really stupid. Either way, I commend you, Red Dragon Emperor."

"Enough of this," Momo held out her hand. The spear that she had stabbed into the ground began to move, digging itself from its mount and flying to her hand. She got in a stance and pointed the blade at him. "I'll end this, right here and now."

This was bad. He really was going to die. There was no way he could survive this. She was getting serious. He was really going to die. Dammit, he had so much left to do. Ryu…He still hadn't told Ryusei how proud he was of the man his little brother had become…and how much he loved him with all his heart. "Ryusei…I'm sorry."

Incredible amounts of magic poured into the blade as the tip caught on fire, blazing hot flames engulfed the spear as Issei could feel his death awaiting him. Momo made her move, jabbing the spear at his heart. Issei lost all nerve in his legs and fell to his knees, closing his eyes as he prepared to die.

"Issei-San!"

Issei heard a loud CLANK! He opened his eyes to see someone's back. Someone wearing a white cloak with a long katana on their back and a nodachi scabbard on the back of his waist. This smell…this presence…

"R…Ryusei…" Tears fell from Issei's eyes.

"Hey…" Ryusei said.

Standing in between him and death was Issei's little brother. Ryusei had swooped in and blocked the attack with his nodachi, holding it back with sheer force.

"C-Captain…" Momo said with shock.

"Long time no see huh," Ryusei smirked. "How have you been, Momo?"

**Author's Note - I know kind of a lot happened in this chapter, but I'll be progressing the story in one or two chapters. Let me know who you guys want in the harem? I was thinking of Emi, Hina, Momo, Irina, and Xenovia so far. I also hope you guys like my OC's. I'd love to know how I can improve on fleshing them out if you guys aren't satisfied. Anyways, I hope you guys liked this chapter and I'll see you guys soon :)**


	8. Chapter 8

**8**

"C-Captain…" The girl known as Momo looked at the new cloaked figure with wide eyes. Emi couldn't tell if those were eyes of shock or hatred…it looked more like a mixture of both.

Emi had just witnessed Hyoudou-Senpai turn his limbs into dragon limbs and fight off a girl who was wielding a frightening spear with sheer force. Her day wasn't supposed to take this weird of a turn. She just wanted to ask Senpai about his brother…now she was caught up in all of this.

Wait a minute, did Hyoudou-Senpai just say…Ryusei? Was he really the one in that cloak? With a gust of wind that blew by, the hood fell from his head and Emi was all but certain of it. That brown hair, that familiar and reassuring presence. It was him…it really was him.

Asia-Senpai clutched her shoulders tightly. Looking to her, the blonde beauty had already begun to cry.

"S-Senpai, are you okay?" Emi asked.

"Yeah," Asia wiped her tears away. "Everything's okay now."

Emi looked back to the fight. Ryusei had managed to hold back Momo's attack with perfect precision, his short sword placed directly in the path of her spear. Standing up, he began to struggle as both pushed forward with tremendous strength.

"It's good to see you again, Momo," Ryusei said. "I was worried I'd never see you again."

"Shut up!" Momo shouted. "You…You're nothing but a traitor and a murderer."

A murderer?

"Momo…" Ryusei said, his tone had changed from nostalgic to regretful. "I-"

"I don't want to hear it!"

The air around them suddenly turned hot as a circle of flames opened up underneath Momo. Emi and Asia were at least 15 feet away, and yet it felt like they were being placed in a blazing oven. Emi felt as though her skin would melt if she got any closer.

"Asia!" Ryusei shouted. "Take Issei and get back!"

"R-Right!" Asia moved from her position and dragged Hyoudou-Senpai's body back towards her, withstanding the heat and holding her mouth.

Emi helped her and dragged him on her lap. He was badly bruised…how was he still alive after all of that? She had watched Momo pound him over and over again, and yet each time he managed to get up. Was he just crazy?

Ryusei jumped back in front of them.

"R-Ryusei…" Emi managed to speak.

"I'm sorry Emi," He said without turning around. He sheathed his short sword and took in a deep breath. "I promise I'll explain everything later."

"You'd better," Emi smiled.

Just when she was beginning to feel safe, the girl behind Momo had appeared on top of Ryusei. How did she do that? Emi didn't even hear her move or anything.

"You didn't forget about me did you, Captain?" The girl had drawn her short sword and ran it right through Ryusei's left hand as he held it up to guard.

"Ryusei-Kun!" Asia cried.

"Y-You sacrificed your hand?" The girl asked, completely astounded.

"Nice to see you too, Reina!" Ryusei shoved her back, the sword pulling out of his left hand.

Reina landed besides Momo, completely speechless. Ryusei's hand went limp as he began to bleed all over the place. He winced in pain as his right hand was tight around the grip of the katana on his back.

Asia moved forward, holding her hands out to his left hand. A green light began to glow, as his wound began to close up.

"What in the hell?" Emi and Ryusei asked in unison.

"Please be careful, Ryusei-Kun," Asia said with her eyes filling up with tears. "I don't want you to die."

Emi watched a smile donned on Ryusei's face. "Thank you, sis."

Asia smiled and nodded, before coming back to Emi. "We should take cover. C'mon, help me with Issei-San."

"R-Right," Emi and Asia carried Issei by the arms and dragged him behind a light pole and poked their heads out to watch.

The flames of Momo had began to subside as the two girls looked at Ryusei with shock. "Y-You're not…" Reina gulped.

Momo didn't need to say anything. Even Emi could tell how on guard she was. Her eyes full determination and blood-lust.

Replacing the searing hot flames, the air suddenly grew incredibly cold. Emi looked above them as storm clouds began to cover the skies of Kuoh. How was this possible? It was completely clear just seconds ago, and yet the town had grown dark with the clouds over them.

"M-Momo, we should-" Reina began but it was too late.

Ryusei jumped in the air and began to draw his katana. Emi saw the scabbard begin to…open up. The katana easily slipped out from the side from the slit that was created and shined as Ryusei held it in the air. A beautiful yet mechanical katana with jagged edges and a bright neon blue color.

"Rain over the frosted frozen sky," The air around Ryusei began to literally freeze and ice shards surrounded him. "Trishula!"

Emi watched in an unspoken horror as ice covered Ryusei. He sprouted a long tail that looked scaly and the tip of the tail a three pointed blade. Wings made entirely of ice formed on his back and spread out, easily twice the size of Ryusei's body. His left arm had transformed into a frozen dragon head with crimson red eyes…and Ryusei's face had changed. His beautiful green eyes had been replaced with a menacing crimson color. Scales formed underneath his eyes as ice crept up his cheeks and barely touched the edge of his eyes. He let out a menacing roar as Emi could feel her ears go deaf. The ground itself began to crack and break apart, glass broke from the surrounding houses, even her hands began to form small shards of ice…all of this from a single roar.

"W-What…" Emi fell to her knees. "What is he?"

"Momo, this is bad," Reina gritted her teeth. "We can't fight him like this. Trishula will tear us apart."

"How can you run away!" Momo scowled. "This man…this man killed dozens of our brothers and sisters, and you want me to turn tail and run?"

"We can't do anything to him when he's like this!" Reina grabbed her by the shoulders and shouted. "Don't throw away your life like this you idiot! Get a hold of yourself Lieutenant!"

Ryusei made his move. He let out a loud roar as he flew from his spot in the sky to over their heads in the blink of an eye. The two girls jumped to evade as Ryusei slammed his sword into the ground, breaking the very ground to form a frozen crater. That sword freezes anything it touches?

"Momo!" Reina shouted. "Your orders!"

Emi couldn't believe the look she was seeing on Momo's face. She knew those eyes…those were the very eyes she had once had. The eyes of someone completely desperate and determined. What exactly happened between Ryusei and Momo?

"Hold him off," Momo ordered. "The Captain must have sensed it by now and is coming. We have to hold him off from destroying the city until the three of them arrive."

"Easier said than done," Reina vanished and appeared atop the wall over Emi and Asia.

Her body suddenly moved, jumping up and shielding Asia and Issei. What the hell was she doing? Was she suicidal?

"While I appreciate the bravery, Himegami Emi, we won't be killing you today," Reina sighed. "Twilight Healing, see if you can heal the Red Dragon Emperor. Try to move if you can, this place is about to get messy."

"W-What do you mean?" Asia asked. "What are you going to do to Ryusei-Kun?"

"US? You should be more worried about what _he's_ going to do," Reina scowled and look back.

She was right. This wasn't Ryusei, Ryusei was much kinder and calm. This thing in front of her wasn't Ryusei…it was a monster taking his body. That sword must have unleashed something, something that took over him.

Emi was frozen. She could hardly move. It felt like her whole body was being crushed slowly. It was like the feeling she got when she met Irina and Xenovia. Wait a minute…

"Asia-Senpai," Emi turned to her. "We need to get Hyoudou-Senpai to the abandoned church."

"W-What?" Asia asked.

"You can heal him there and we'll be far enough away to come up with a plan," Emi stooped down and picked Issei up by his arm over her shoulder. "We have to come up with something before they kill him."

"R-Right!" Asia wrapped his other arm around her shoulder.

"Take this," Reina tossed them a necklace. It was an amulet with a sapphire orb. "It's a glamour charm. You'll be shrouded from human sights so you can move freely without people getting in your way."

"W-Why are you helping us?" Emi asked.

She suddenly smiled and her stern eyes relaxed. "Because believe it or not, I'd rather not kill my old teacher."

"Reina-San…" Emi gulped. She truly cared about Ryusei, going so far as to help them even though she was here to kill Emi?

"Get going," Reina stood up and looked to Ryusei. "I'm going to try my best to keep the Lieutenant from killing him, but if the Captain and the others get here…"

"Understood," Emi nodded. "Come on Senpai, the church isn't far from here."

**…**

Celeste stood her ground, facing the three assassins with a quirky smile and a confident demeanor. Could she win against these three even with this angel at her side? Even she didn't really know the answer to such a dilemma, but she was eager to find out.

However, despite her confidence in her own power and magic, there was something otherworldly about one of the assassins. The siblings behind him were small fry compared to the enormous amount of magic pressure that this man gave off. As the two were struggling to move even an inch from their position, he stood perfectly still, completely cool and calm, with a smile on his face and his eyes closed.

"What the hell are you?" Celeste gritted her teeth. "Hey you stupid angel, get those two humans somewhere safe. I should be okay here until you return."

Mizuki Kamiya held out her hand to the human girl. "Nagase Hinata, I'm sending you and your brother home. Don't leave the house until one of us comes get you, and make sure your brother doesn't do anything stupid either."

"Y-Yes, sensei," The human girl stood up and covered the boy as a magic circle opened up and swallowed them whole.

"Do you think it was a good idea," The assassin asked. "To send them home? You do understand we can kill them at any time, don't you?"

"That's big talk from someone who can't move," Celeste smirked.

"Those chains absorb the magic from anything it touches," Kamiya said. "Even if it's a small amount, they'll absorb and drain every last drop. So how are you still standing?"

"It pains me that you underestimate me so," The man sighed, but still had that stupid arrogant smile. "Allow me to introduce myself, Celeste Clearwater of the Fairy Court. I am Kurogane Eiji, Captain of the Assassin Order's execution squad. A pleasure to be your acquaintance."

"Spare me your sentimentality," Celeste narrowed her eyes.

Why was she even here? She owed Hyoudou Ryusei no debt or favor, and yet when she found out that the assassins had infiltrated the city, her body acted on it's own. Even the wolves have already mobilized to sniff out any other assassins. It's only a matter of time now. The cards were stacked against these assassins, how did he expect to win?

Suddenly, Eiji looked up and opened his eyes. Celeste felt her knees give out just from looking into those eyes. His pupils were black as midnight, however his irises were crimson red with a tomoe symbol, three comma shaped objects floating around a black dot in the center.

Eiji's body began to convulse horrifically, until his body began to split open as dozens of black ravens flew from them. What kind of magic was this? In 300 years, she had never seen anyone escape these chains using such a method.

"C-Captain," The girl, Jessica, ripped her arm free from the chains and threw her short sword directly at Celeste.

Int the blink of an eye, Eiji caught the blade by the handle and held it to her throat from behind. Celeste stood frozen in confusion, how did he…

"I told you didn't I?" The blade came closer to her throat. "To not underestimate me. It'd be wise to remember that in the next life, Celeste Clearwater."

"I can say the same to you."

Celeste didn't even notice when she had done it, but Kamiya had set traps in the room set to trigger when someone stepped on them. Several spears made of light emerged from magic circles all over the room, all pointed at Eiji.

"Oh?" Eiji looked around. "It seems you've set up quite the elaborate trap. I am impressed."

"Those eyes," Kamiya said. "Highly advanced and slightly forbidden illusion magic. One look into those eyes make you fall victim to an illusion world that you can't escape from. You've gotten your hands on quite the weapon haven't you?"

"You honor me with such compliments," Eiji smiled. "For what it's worth, I'll make your deaths as painless as I can."

Celeste was trying to figure out what to do in this situation. If those eyes really held illusion magic capable of incapacitating her, she had to avoid looking into his eyes all the while trying to defend herself while attacking. And on top of that, there were those two other assassins she had to take into consideration. The fact that that woman had broken her hand free of the chains means that they were getting weaker. This is quite the little pickle they're in.

As if a nuke had been dropped in the city, Celeste felt an astronomical amount of magic pressure being released towards the city. The whole room began to shake simply by being able to feel this pressure. What…What was this? She could feel the sweat beading down her cheek. Ryusei?

"I didn't believe he could do it," Eiji said, lowering his blade. "He's released the dragon from it's seal."

"Dragon?" Celeste asked.

"That sword was meant to keep the dragon's power from leaking through, wasn't it?" Kamiya asked. "The Ryujin-Ichimonji, the sealed sword of fate."

"Indeed," Eiji nodded. "One of our old mentors managed to seal that dragon within that sword, and gave it to Sei-Chan for safe keeping in case he ever needed it's power. To think that he resorted to unleashing its strength…"

Celeste didn't understood fully what was going on, but it appears as though Eiji isn't an enemy at the moment. She released the chains from his companions as the flew back into the magic circles.

"What do we do?" Celeste asked.

"Jessica, Henry, go investigate." Eiji ordered. "I'm certain Momo and Reina are at the scene trying to suppress the situation."

"C-Captain, we can't just-" Jessica said, but Henry placed a hand on her shoulder.

"This is an order," Eiji lost his smile and had a stern look on his face. Celeste didn't know if that smile was just a facade, but she much rather preferred it to this demonic look he had right now.

"U-Understood, sir." With that, the two assassins vanished.

"Will you still kill us?" Kamiya asked, crossing her arms and disarming the traps.

"Not at the moment, no," Eiji sighed. "Momo was sent to observe Sei-Chan's actions, and the Council declared him a threat that needed to be taken care of. Truth be told, I'd rather not kill an old friend, traitor or not."

"I'm surprised you have a soft spot," Kamiya smirked.

Eiji smiled. "Regardless of how I look, I still am part human after all."

"I see," Kamiya walked towards the window. "What will you do now?"

"I must go see if the situation can still be contained," Eiji said. "If we can, we'll free him from his rage. But if he continues to rampage, I'll have no choice but to kill him." Eiji turned and tossed something towards Celeste. It was an amulet, a sapphire orb attached to a chain. "Use it to track Sei-Chan's brother. I'm sure Reina has probably made her move already."

"What are you talking about?" Celeste asked. 'You can't seriously expect me to-"

"We can trust him, Celeste," Kamiya said. "The Captain of the execution squad is many things, but a liar is not one of them."

"I thank you, my patron," Eiji smiled and nodded. "I'll be off then, but I do wish we will meet again." With that, his body once again turned to a dozen ravens and all flying out of the window.

Celeste looked at the amulet, it was definitely a magic stone. But what did he mean they could use it to track Ryusei's brother? What did he want them to do?

"Hyoudou Issei might be the only one who can calm his rage," Kamiya walked to Celeste and took the stone. "Shall we go then?"

"This is so much work," Celeste sighed.

Kamiya poured her magic into the stone as a magic circle opened up and swallowed them. Opening her eyes, Celeste realized she was in a church. It was an abandoned and forgotten church, with the walls and benches broken and decaying. Around the front of the alter were several people.

"S-Sensei!" A blonde haired girl ran towards the two of them. "Sensei, Issei-San, he's really hurt and my Twilight Healing can't heal him. If we don't do something, he'll-"

"I understand," Kamiya nodded.

Celeste and Kamiya walked over to the body of Ryusei's brother. It was very hard to see how they were even related. Ryusei was much taller and had more defined muscle tone, even his magic pressure was nothing compared to Ryusei's.

She looked up to see two figures standing behind the alter. Two members of the Holy Church, a girl with blue hair and a girl with chestnut colored hair.

"Exorcists?" Celeste asked. "Oh this day keeps getting better and better."

"They're friends," A human girl with long blonde hair intervened.

"And you are?" Celeste asked.

"H-Himegami Emi," She said, clearly afraid but her bravery and courage taking its place. "You're Celeste, aren't you? Heir to the Fairy Court?"

"How do you know of me, human?" Celeste's interest was peaked.

"Save it for later," Kamiya stooped over the brother's body. She held out her hand as a bright light illuminated the room.

Slowly but surely, the color returned to the brother's face. What had the girl called him? Issei?

"S…Sensei…" Issei said slowly. "Ryusei….I have to…."

"Relax for now," Kamiya said. "Whoever fought you infused magic into their fists and damaged some of your organs. It'll be a few minutes before you can get up."

"It was two assassins," The human girl, Emi, relayed. "Momo and Reina."

"I see," Celeste said. "So that's what he meant."

"Ryusei-Kun arrived just in time to save Issei-San, but when he pulled that sword out…it was like something took over him," The blonde girl said.

"Trishula," Kamiya said, still healing Issei. "A Dragon God, the Dragon of the Ice Barrier."

Celeste raised an eyebrow. "Trishula? Wasn't she sealed away years ago? How is she here?" Wait a minute, where had Trishula and her sister been sealed? Surely it couldn't have been…

"Whatever the details are," Kamiya said. "The fact still stands that it's taken over Ryusei's psyche. If we don't snap him out of it, he'll be lost within his own mind."

"I have to…save him," Issei tried to sit up, but Kamiya held him down.

"You, need to rest," Kamiya sighed. "Honestly, how can you even move with these injuries."

"I administered first aid on the scene to heal his minor injuries," The blonde girl said. "But Twilight Healing is strong enough to extract magic from his body."

"I see," Kamiya smiled. "It was a big help, thank you Asia."

Twilight Healing…Asia. So this was the girl exiled from the Holy Church.

"Wait a minute, aren't you a devil?" Celeste asked. "How can you even be in a church right now?"

Asia looked to Issei and took his hand. "Well…you see…Issei-San and I are Stray Devils now. We couldn't sit back and watch as Ryusei-Kun was hunted. He's our family."

Celeste noticed the chestnut haired exorcist stepping back, a mortified look on his face. "I-Irina." The blue haired girl helped her stand.

"He's okay…He's back…" Tears fell from her eyes. "Ryu-Kun is really alive…Oh Issei…"

Celeste raised an eyebrow. Who was this girl exactly? How did she know about Ryusei? Isn't she just an exorcist?

"Why are you two here?" Celeste asked.

The blue haired girl looked to her. "We were sent on a mission direct from the Paladin, to observe and relay the actions of the one who killed Garo Motoyama."

"I see," Celeste crossed her arms. So the exorcists were about ready to take action too. First the assassins, and now they'll have the exorcists as well. "This isn't gonna be good."

Kamiya sat back and sighed. "He'll be okay now."

Issei mustered every ounce of strength and sat up. "Thank you, Kamiya-Sensei."

"Issei-San!" Asia wrapped her arms around him and broke down crying. "Isse-San. Issei-San. Issei-San."

"Asia," Issei smiled and hugged her. "I'm okay, thank you for your help."

"What will you do, Hyoudou Issei," Kamiya asked. "The situation we're in is quite dire."

"What do you mean?" Emi stepped forward.

"Hyoudou Ryusei is caught in between a five way conflict," Kamiya explained. "The Devils want him for information and quite possible that sword, the assassins have deemed him a threat and a traitor, the exorcists will mobilize soon if those two over there deem him a threat, and not to mention the Fairy Court and wolf pack."

"We have to help him," The chestnut haired girl stepped forward with a hand over her heart. "We have to."

Issei looked to the girl with an eyebrow raised. "No way…Irina?"

A smile appeared on the girl's face. "Hey. Long time huh, Issei?"

"Y-Yeah…" Issei blushed.

Asia pinched Issei's cheek and pulled, her face became pouty and frowned.

"What's the plan?" The blue haired girl asked.

"Issei, can you move okay?" Kamiya asked.

He nodded and mustered his strength to stand. He balled his fists and looked at Kamiya. "I want to save my brother."

It was for a second, but he was a spitting image of Ryusei in Celeste's eyes. Maybe they were related after all.

**…**

Ryusei was in darkness.

He sat in the middle of an empty abyss. Everywhere he looked, he saw nothing but the eternal darkness that surrounded him. What had happened to him? His memories were fuzzy, he couldn't remember what had happened.

That's right…he was fighting Momo. He was protecting his brother and sister, as well as Emi. He drew the Ryujin-Ichimonji…so he was locked away in his own psyche. It was just like that time before…Trishula had taken over his body and he can do nothing but sit back and watch.

Ryusei pulled his knees to his chest and hid his face. It didn't matter anymore. It didn't matter what he did, nothing would go his way. When he tries to protect someone, he'll just put them in more danger. When he loves someone, they'll just die and leave him alone. When he tries to connect with others, they'll just leave him too. What could he do? His own psyche…it was just darkness.

Ryusei felt a hand on his chest.

"Yes, it's pretty dark in here isn't it?"

That voice. Ryusei shot his head back, only to have tears fill his eyes. Standing before him was his old teacher…and an old friend.

A girl with short black hair and a kind smile. She was dressed in an assassin's uniform with her hood free from her head.

"Come on, why are you crying?" She sat down besides him and pulled her knees to her chest. "We haven't talked in a long time, have we Ryusei?"

"A…Alicia…" Ryusei mustered.

She smiled. "You've grown into a fine young man. I'm proud of you, Ryusei."

His tears overflowed and fell down his cheeks. "B…But I…I'm sorry."

She tilted his head. "Why are you sorry?"

"It was my fault," Ryusei wiped his eyes but his tears were ever flowing. "It was all my fault. It was because of me that you-"

"You idiot," A hand punched the top of his head. This voice was masculine…it couldn't be…

Merrick Malitar sat down on his side and crossed his legs. His silvery hair long and flowing, even he had a smile on his face and nostalgic eyes. "Don't blame yourself for something like that. It'll just weigh you down."

"Merrick…you're here too?" Ryusei asked.

"Of course I am," Merrick smiled. "Did you forget who this sword belonged to? Just who the hell do you think I am?"

Ryusei looked back down at his knees. "I'm sorry…both of you…if it wasn't for me, you'd both be alive."

"What are you talking about?" Alicia asked. "We gave our lives so you could live, didn't we? Don't go blaming yourself for something _we_ did."

"That's right, she's probably just upset you were too young for her too-" Merrick found himself pummeled in the face with a violent rage punch from Alicia.

"Shut your mouth you pervy doofus!" Alicia growled.

"That hurt you witch! What the hell are you thinking! You could have killed me!"

"You're already dead you dumbass!" Alicia shouted, before catching her words and covering her mouth.

They both looked to Ryusei with a worried look, but he found himself smiling, and turning into laughter.

"R-Ryusei? Are you okay? Did she hit you too?" Merrick crawled over and grabbed his shoulders. "Hey, speak to me!"

"No, it's just…" Merrick wiped his eyes. "I thought you were both just figments of my imagination…but it's really you."

Merrick smiled. "Of course I'm me. What are you talking about? As if there could be another Merrick Malitar."

Suddenly, a window floating in the air appeared. The three of them looked at it to see Momo and Reina facing his body. It was from his point of view…he was viewing his actions from within his own mind.

"That look on Momo's face…" Alicia sat back down besides him.

"So she's pissed at you, is she?" Merrick crossed his arms and legs. "She's grown really strong, hasn't she."

Ryusei knew it was all his fault. If he hadn't been there that day, Alicia and Merrick would still be alive, and Momo wouldn't be so cutthroat and out for his life.

"Come on," Merrick wrapped an arm around Ryusei's neck. "Why don't we watch for a bit? I have a feeling something good's going to happen."

Alicia nodded, and took Ryusei's hand. "We're with you, always."

**…**

Hyoudou Gorou sat on the window frame of he and his wife's bedroom, staring off into the city as he felt the magic pressures of his two sons. A smile came on his face as he realized that Ryusei had drawn Ryujin-Ichimonji.

The doors opened up and his wife, Hyoudou Misaki, walked in with a worried look. "Those storm clouds are giving me a worried feeling."

"Don't worry honey," Gorou grinned. "I know he can handle it."

"Maybe we should have told the two of them the truth," Misaki walked over to Gorou's side and leaned on his shoulder. "I feel really guilty."

"They'll be okay," Gorou said. "With what's to come, they'll both need to get much, much stronger."

Gorou knew that it was only a matter of time. The Assassin's Council was as corrupt and rotten as the Pope. It'll only be a matter of time until they declare war on each other, or worse…on the world.

"Is there anything we can do for them?" Misaki asked. "I can't sit back and watch our kids…"

"I want to," Gorou said. "I want to train them, nurture them, raise them…but there are some things in this world that they'll have to learn on their own. Whatever decisions they'll make, they'll have to deal with the consequences of them."

Misaki smiled. "The Creed, right?" Misaki asked, parting away and pointing her finger up. "We must live with our consequences, whether glorious or tragic."

Gorou grinned. He got up from his seat and walked over to his wife, pulling her into a tight hug. "I love you so much, Misaki."

"D-Dear…" It took her a second before she hugged him back. "I hope we're doing the right thing."

"Live with our consequences, remember?" Gorou smiled. "Whatever happens, we can only hope that those two will get stronger."

**Author's Note - So I obviously borrowed ideas from Yu-Gi-Oh and Bleach. Sorry about the slow pacing, but I didn't want to rush and ruin my characters. I also wanted Ryusei and Issei's parents to have a part in this story and not just be minor characters like in the anime and LN. I got inspiration from Arrow and Bleach (obviously because of Misaki), so let me know what you guys think I should do with them. PM me if you have any ideas or suggestions, I'd love to hear what you guys think. Anyways, I hope you guys like this chapter and I'll see you soon. :)**


	9. Chapter 9

**9**

Issei sat on one of the benches in the abandoned church, staring at the giant wooden Jesus hung on the large back wall. He hadn't been in a church in awhile, not since he rescued Asia from Yuuma, and he never thought he'd set foot back in one.

He watched as Asia and Emi were discussing strategy with Kamiya-Sensei and that purple haired girl, along with the exorcist Xenovia. Asia really has grown ever since Ryusei returned. She's a lot more confident in others and herself, speaking her mind and letting her voice be heard. He couldn't help but smile when he thought about Ryusei changing their lives. He had to save his little brother…

"Issei," Shidou Irina walked up to him. "Do you mind if I sit next to you?"

"N-No, of course not," Issei scooted to the left to give her some room.

This is…really awkward. What was he supposed to say to her? Up until a few minutes ago, he had always thought Irina was a guy. Looking at her now, Irina was definitely not a guy. Her body had grown very feminine with good curves and well endowed breasts. She was much cuter now, shedding that tomboyish personality and look of hers. Was this really the same kid from back then?

"Issei?"

Issei fumbled to maintain his composure. "Y-Yeah?"

"How did you feel when Ryu-Kun came back?" She asked, fidgeting with her hands between her thighs.

"I was really happy," He smiled, looking up at the ceiling. "It wasn't easy to deal with, losing my brother and then my best friend a few months later. I always thought that I was just meant to be alone…but eventually I made friends and moved on from it. But then he came back out of no where and it was like a wave of nostalgia came back and hit me like a truck."

Irina giggled and covered her mouth. "I wish I was there to see him when he came home. I wonder how much he's changed."

"He's changed alright," Issei suddenly became very aware of that fact. "He's not the same idiotic kid who cried about everything and needed others to comfort him. He's so independent now, and so much sadder, no matter how much he tries to hide it with his smiles. And he's hiding so much from us because he doesn't want to drag us into his world. I just wish…he realizes that he doesn't have to bear all of this burden by himself."

"Isn't that why you're going to save him?" Irina asked. "Asia Argento might be his big sister now, but so was I. Let's go save your brother, Issei."

Ryusei's not the only one who's changed, as it seems.

"Hyoudou," Kamiya-Sensei walked towards him. "It's showtime. Are you ready?"

Issei and Irina stood up. "I am. What's the plan?"

A maniacal smile came onto Sensei's face. "We're gonna rush him."

Issei felt his brain malfunction. "W-What?"

"You heard the woman," Celeste Clearwater crossed her arms. "It's the most effective way to get to Ryusei while minimizing the damage. Those assassins should be keeping him busy for the time being, but we need to move before they decide to kill him."

Issei gulped. Asia walked over and took his hand. "Issei-San, let's do this."

Issei could cry for the gift that is Asia. Always there for him when he needed that boost of confidence when he needed one.

"Let's do it."

Everyone in the church ran out of the building and towards the chaos and destruction towards the city. Issei was bewildered that Ryusei could cause all of this damage. There were pillars of ice all around the city, buildings destroyed with ice shards crashed in them, and the rain didn't help. Speaking of which, how was it even raining? Wasn't it a clear sky just a few hours ago?

"Sensei," Issei said as they were running. "What exactly happened?"

"Ryusei drew a sword that contains a powerful and chaotic Dragon God," Sensei explained. "They're said to be so powerful that the Factions avoided invading or fighting in their territory to avoid any unnecessary deaths. One of those Gods is sealed within that sword. The Dragon God of the Ice Barrier, Trishula."

"I've heard that name before," Celeste said. "One of the last two remaining Dragon Gods of the Ice Barrier right? Where's the other?"

"Even I don't know what happened to Brionacc," Sensei said in a concerning tone. "But as far as I'm concerned, if we don't save Ryusei, Trishula will freeze the entire world and turn into a frozen apocalypse."

"How are we even supposed to stop him?" Xenovia asked.

"She's right, Kamiya," Celeste said. "If we get too close to him, he'll freeze us in an instant."

"Issei," Sensei said. "How prepared are you to save your brother? Because I have an idea, but it might be extremely painful."

"Whatever it takes, sensei," Issei hardened his heart and found his resolve. "Ryusei never has to be alone again."

"What's the plan?" Asia asked.

"Asia, Celeste, and I will cast our most powerful healing magic on Issei to act as a counter to Trishula's passive ability," Kamiya explained. "Absolute Zero has a radius of ten meters to where once you set foot within it, you'll feel the sheer cold that it can give off. The closer you get to the center, the colder and harsher it'll be. It'll be like walking in the North Pole naked and waiting to be frozen solid."

Issei gulped. "W-Will this really work?"

"No idea, but it's the best chance we have," Sensei explained. "If we can't get close to him, I have to assume that those assassins can't get close to him either. We're at a stalemate unless we take the initiative."

She was right. Issei knew she was right, but he suddenly felt how much the temperature had dropped by simply running towards the eye of the storm. As they approached the battlefield, Issei could see several figures in white circling around…a dragon?

"D-Ddraig," Issei said. "Is that really Ryusei?"

**"Trishula is a powerful Dragon God," **The dragon said. **"Since it's physical body is long gone, unleashing it's power means that it'll possess your body. You can think of that sword as one of the most powerful Sacred Gears currently in the world, probably on par with one of the Longinus." **

Issei gulped.

The assassins dispersed and appeared by their side. There were five of them, and the man in front was clearly the leader. He had an intimidating and demanding that went against his bright smile on his face.

"What's the situation like?" Sensei asked.

"Could be better," The man said. "We've already asked the Devils of this city to keep out of the conflict and to watch, but if it gets any worse, I'm sure they'll mobilize."

"Do you have some sort of plan?" A girl with long red hair with the ends turning white stepped forward.

Issei noticed Sensei looking at her…no, observing her?

"Perfect," A smirk tugged at her face. "Kurogane Eiji, can I borrow your Lieutenant? She'll prove to be quite useful."

"M-Me?" She asked.

"It's fine, Momo," Eiji said. "You were assigned to be Sei-Chan's observer, weren't you? It'll reflect bad on you if he ends up destroying the world."

"What do you want me to do?" Momo asked.

"Your Sacred Gear," Sensei said to their surprise. "Focus all of your magic into a single fireball shot that will contain Hyoudou Issei. Shoot it straight at Ryusei."

"I see," Momo said. "It's true I've been expanding the range of my flames to minimize the damage, but a single concentrated blast might make it. But what of Hyoudou Issei, he'll be burned instead of frozen."

"No need to worry," Celeste stepped up. "We'll protect him using magic. The rest of you will have the otherworldly job of keeping him still, at all costs."

"Understood," Eiji said. "Momo, go with them. And you," Eiji looked to Emi. "A normal human will not survive this fight. It'd be best if you stay out of this."

Emi suddenly grew sad. She walked over to Issei and looked at him with determined eyes. "Senpai…please save my friend."

Issei smiled. "Leave it to me, Emi."

She nodded and ran off in the opposite direction. Sensei opened a magic circle and teleported Issei, Momo, Celeste, and Asia on top of a tall building that gave them some height. The assassins along with Irina and Xenovia stayed on the ground and were in charge of keeping Ryusei steady.

**"Partner,"** Ddraig said. **"Be wary of that girl." **

"Momo?"

**"The Sacred Gear she possesses is quite the terrifying weapon." **

It was weird for Ddraig to warn him like this. He made sure to keep a mental note of that in mind. It was true that Momo was terrifying, Issei knew that personally. She hardly used her Sacred Gear at all when they fought, simply pounding him with sheer strength. She was actually a lot stronger than that.

"Hyoudou," Sensei said. "We're ready."

Issei nodded and stepped in between all of them. They were arranged in a triangle formation with Momo behind him. Asia quickly healed up his external injuries before Sensei and Celeste cast several layers of magic barriers on Issei.

"Here we go," Momo said.

A circle of blazing flames circled around Momo. "Searing Sanctuary!" So that's the name of her Sacred Gear. The flames gathered into her hands forming twin spirals of searing hot flames. She held them out, all the flames concentrating into a single orb of flames infused with her own magic. Even from here, Issei could feel the heat from those flames.

"Burning Phoenix Blade!" Momo released the concentrated magic into a single burst of flames that surrounded Issei. He was lifted off the ground and was swallowed up by the flames.

He was moving fast, a lot faster than anything he's ever experienced. Slowly…the barriers began to break from the combined forces of the heat and cold temperature. He felt his stomach twist into knots and growing incredibly nauseous. He had never experienced anything like this before. Words couldn't describe how sick he felt.

The last of the barriers was barely holding, but he could see Ryusei straight ahead.

"Ryusei!"

The last barrier shattered, and all Issei could see was white.

**…**

Ryusei hadn't felt this kind of happiness in a long time. Sitting here with his two closest friends in the darkness of his psyche, it felt like he was back on Lian-Yu. Alicia hadn't changed at all, still the kind and caring girl with a quick temper and monstrous strength. Merrick hadn't changed from his quirky and impulsive attitude, as well as his confidence and enthusiasm.

Things were getting pretty bad out there. Ryusei could see himself crushing Eiji-San and the others with Trishula's power. He knew that he shouldn't have drawn the sword, but he knew that with how much Momo had grown, he would have died if he fought her. He also didn't know how much Reina had grown. Too many factors unaccounted for for him to win.

"Wait a minute," Ryusei said. "How are you guys here in the first place?"

"You finally asked, huh?" Merrick smirked. "I guess you can say when we sealed Trishula, we sealed some of our magic into the Ryujin-Ichimonji as well."

"Why would you-"

"Because the time will come when you need to tame Trishula, Ryusei," Alicia said. "Trishula is one of the Dragon Gods of the Ice Barrier, her power is limitless. You'll need to master this power when the time comes."

"When the time comes?" Ryusei asked. "What do you mean?"

"You'll see soon enough, Ryusei," Alicia rubbed his head.

"Look," Merrick pointed at the viewing window. "Looks like things are getting interesting."

Was that…Issei? Why were Issei and Asia talking to the assassins? There were a few other people with them as well, Emi, Kamiya-Sensei, and even Emi. There were also two strange people behind all of them wearing clothes similar to the assassins, but…one of their magic pressures felt familiar to him.

"You sure have made a lot of good friends, haven't you Ryusei," Alicia smiled. "I'm a little jealous of how many girls are there."

"What are you saying?" Merrick grinned and wrapped an arm around him. "The kid's a stud. Way to go Ryusei!"

He blushed.

Ryusei watched as everyone divided up into two groups. While Kamiya-Sensei led Momo, Asia, Issei, and Celeste to a tall building fairly close to his body, Eiji-San led the ground assault as they all charged towards him.

"Well," Alicia got on her feet and stretched her arms. "Looks like it's time for us to go."

"W-What?"

Merrick got on his feet and held his hips as he watched the window with a bright smile. "You have so many friends now, even a loving brother and sister, you don't need us around anymore."

"T-That's not…" He couldn't bring himself to say it. He had to say it now, it was his last chance. "That's not true!"

"Ryusei…" Alicia looked to him.

Ryusei got on his feet, tears overflowing from his eyes as he looked to his two teachers. "I…I couldn't have made it this far, if it were not for the two of you. I just…I just…" Why couldn't he say it? He had cheated and deceived his way out of countless situations before, and yet why couldn't he say his feelings properly now!

"We know, Ryusei," Merrick walked towards him and pulled him into a hug. It was incredibly out of character for him to do this.

"We wish we had more time, we really do," Alicia smiled and took his hand. "I wish this moment could last forever, but it would only hold you back."

"That's not true!" Ryusei mustered through his tears. "I don't want to lose the two of you again…I really…I really love you guys."

Alicia's grip tightened around his hand. He looked to her to see tears coming from her as well. Of course…he wasn't the only one who had regrets. They left this world without ever fulfilling their wishes and desires, never getting to live the rest of their lives as they should have. He's such an idiot…standing there talking about his own feelings.

"Make sure you take care of yourself, okay?' Alicia cupped her hands around his face. "Bathe everyday, three meals a day, and remember to do your homework and stay in shape. Always remember the three tenets, and keep our teachings in your heart. As long as you never forget…As long as you never forget…" Alicia was crying now, her eyes wouldn't stop flooding. "As long as you never forget that, we'll always live on through you. I'll be able to see you grow into a fine young man, through your eyes."

"Alicia…" Ryusei bit his lip to stop himself from succumbing to his emotions.

"There's so much more I wish I could teach you, Ryusei," Alicia wiped her tears in an effortless attempt to remain calm. "So much more. I'm sorry."

Merrick placed a hand on her shoulder. Ryusei could see him trembling, doing his best to keep himself under control.

"Never forget us, okay?" Merrick turned his head, tears streaming down his cheeks with a quirky smile. "Make sure you live. Live enough for the two of us. We'll always be with you."

"Alicia! Merrick!" Ryusei jumped at them, wrapping his arms around them and squeezed tightly. Maybe he could keep them from moving on, maybe if he just…

Alicia returned his embrace and buried his face in her chest. "You've grown into such a brilliant young man, Ryusei. I'm so proud of you." Alicia ruffled his hair.

Ryusei noticed their bodies beginning to dissolve, like flickers in from a fire. They were leaving…

"I love you," Ryusei cried. "I love you guys so much! So, so much!"

"We know," Merrick smiled and rubbed his head. "We love you too, Ryusei."

"I love you very much," Alicia gave him a parting kiss on his forehead, as the two of them backed away.

Ryusei bit his lips and unleashed his tears as he watched his two teachers walk away, holding hands and disappearing. What broke his heart was when Alicia stumbled and cried in Merrick's arms as he comforted her.

"Thank you!" Ryusei cried. "Thank you for raising me! For teaching me how to live! I'll never…" Ryusei balled his fists. "I'll never forget you! Through the ends of the universe…I'll never forget you!"

The image of Alicia and Merrick turning to face them, teary eyed and smiling, will be engraved into his very soul.

As Ryusei fell on his knees and crying his heart out, he heard the cries of his brother. Echoing as he looked up, Issei's cries became clearer and clearer. It was time for him as well. He couldn't stay here forever. He had to get up, to get stronger, to become someone who can protect the people he loves. He couldn't stay here here any longer.

"Ryusei! Ryusei! Open your eyes dammit! Open your eyes!"

A bright flash of white thrusted into existence as Ryusei's vision became clear. Issei was facing him, teary eyed and smiling as he blinked.

"I…Issei…" Ryusei said.

He suddenly became aware of where he was. His body had begun to break away the ice covering him, and the storm clouds over Kuoh had begun to dissipate. On the building behind Issei, Asia was crying as Kamiya-Sensei comforted her. Celeste was smiling with her arms crossed and Momo…was still Momo he suppose.

"I caused you a lot of trouble, didn't I?" Ryusei smiled. "Sorry, bro."

"You idiot!" Issei hugged him, burying his head into Ryusei's neck. "I just got you back. Don't you dare pull a stunt like that ever again!"

"Yeah…" Ryusei hugged his brother. "I'm sorry, Issei."

The two of them floated down and landed. Eiji-San and the others gathered around as Kamiya-Sensei brought Asia and the rest down. Asia ran and jumped into his arms, crying and cursing him for being stupid.

"I'm sorry, Asia," Ryusei smiled.

Eiji-San walked towards him. "I really didn't think you'd pull it out. I must say I'm surprised."

Ryusei faced him with his resolve found. "Will you still kill me?"

"I suppose I should report this to the Council," Eiji-San smiled and crossed his arms. "Momo, I would like for you to stay here and remain as Sei-Chan's observer."

"C-Captain!" Reina Trueblood raised her hand. "I want to stay as well!"

"I figured as much," Eiji sighed. "Very well, but Momo is in charge."

"Yessir!" Reina saluted with a smile.

"Captain…" Momo said. "Are you sure?"

"It's about time you bury the hatchet, isn't it?" Eiji placed a hand on her shoulder as he, Jessica, and Henry walked away. "I'll be seeing you, Sei-Chan."

The three assassins vanished, leaving Ryusei with a huge burden off his shoulders. He sighed in relief as he stretched his back. "I thought he'd never leave!"

Asia snickered. "He's pretty scary, isn't he?"

"He used to be such a laid back guy too," Ryusei frowned. "I guess being promoted to Captain really changed him."

"He's not the one who's changed," Momo crossed her arms.

Ryusei scratched his head. "It's good to see you too."

"How can you guys be so nonchalant about this!" Celeste cried. "Do you realize how much trouble you're in? Look at this damage!"

It was true. While the towers and shards of ice had began to vanish like Alicia and Merrick, the destruction around them was still pretty evident. "I guess the Devils are really gonna be on my ass about this, aren't they."

"Leave the repairs to me," Sensei smiled.

"Sensei…" Ryusei walked over to her and bowed. "I'm very sorry for the trouble I caused. I can't thank you enough."

Sensei was caught by surprised and stepped back. "D-Don't thank me you idiot. Stop that it's creeping me out!"

"I was just…" Ryusei's jaw dropped.

Issei put a hand on his shoulder. Ryusei looked to him to see his brother shaking his head.

From the back of the group, Ryusei heard a girl giggle and laugh. "You two really haven't changed, have you? I'm glad."

Ryusei could almost cry again as he saw who was standing before him. Before he knew it, his body had reacted on his own as he jumped at Irina and wrapped his arms around her.

"R-Ryu-Kun…You shouldn't-"

"I've missed you," Ryusei squeezed tighter. "I've missed you so much…"

Irina relaxed and returned his hug. "I've missed you too, Ryu-Kun."

"What do you two think you're doing!" Ryusei felt his ears being pulled as he let go and winced in pain. Emi pouted as she squeezed her grip on his ears tighter and tighter.

"O-Ow! That hurts Emi!"

"That's what you get," Emi let go and crossed her arms.

"Guys…" Reina interjected. "I don't mean to ruin the reunions, but I really think we should get out of here."

"She's right," Celeste sighed. "The Devils should be here soon. We'll be caught in a mess if we stay here."

"Considering that Issei and Asia are Stray Devils now, it wouldn't look good," Sensei said.

"You're a what now?" Ryusei asked.

"Never mind that," Issei smiled awkwardly. "Where should we go…"

"We can't all fit in Sensei's house," Emi said.

"Actually," Ryusei pulled out a talisman. "I have a place."

**…**

Ryusei sat at the edge of his hideout. With Kamiya-Sensei staying at the scene to repair all the damages, everyone else was left to stay at his base. Celeste had been completely disgusted at how messy and out of place everything is so she initiated a cleaning protocol with all the empty hands. Asia, Xenovia, Reina, and Momo had offered to help while Ryusei changed his clothes and rested.

This view was rather amazing. With the sun setting, the horizon of Kuoh was painted a beautiful scarlet. He wished Merrick and Alicia could see this view. He knew Alicia always loved these types of things.

"Pretty eventful day, huh?" Issei pressed a cold drink against his cheek. He sat down and joined his brother as the two looked off into the city.

"A lot's changed, hasn't it?" Ryusei asked. "You became a Devil and I became an assassin. We're one messed up family."

"That we are," Issei snickered as he drank. "Sometimes I wish we could just go back to the good old days."

"Speaking of which," Ryusei raised an eyebrow. "How did you become a Devil in the first place?"

Issei looked like someone hit him with a brick. He played with his fingers around the can as his face got red. "M…My girlfriend…killed me."

Ryusei stared at him. "I'm sorry?"

"My first ever girlfriend impaled me with a spear through my heart!" Issei raised his voice by accident and caught himself as everyone looked at him. "Happy?"

Ryusei broke out into laughter. "You got a girlfriend? And she kills you? That's hilarious!"

"D-Don't laugh at me!" Issei growled.

"Sorry, sorry," Ryusei wiped his tears of joy. "But…you became a Stray Devil…for me. Are you-"

"Don't give me that," Issei sighed. "We're family right? There's nothing I wouldn't do for you."

"Would you guys mind if I join you?"

Ryusei looked back to see Irina. "O-Of course not."

Irina sat down next to Ryusei as the three of them stared at the scenery.

"You became an exorcist," Ryusei said. "After you moved?"

"Y-Yeah," Irina said. "My father is an exorcist so I guess I was dragged into the family business."

"Are you sure you should be talking to us?" Ryusei asked. "Aren't I an enemy? And don't you guys hate Devils?"

"What are you talking about?" Irina raised an eyebrow. "You guys are my two closest friends. I'll never see you as anything else."

"Always have a way with words don't you," Issei snickered. "I'm glad that we're all here again, back in town with each other. It only feels like yesterday that we were just climbing trees and being idiots."

"Says the one who always fell," Irina pouted.

The three of them broke out into conversation, catching up with each other over the past five years. Irina had moved to England and undergone training to become en exorcist. Xenovia is her partner and she was sent her by the Paladin herself. Ryusei didn't know much about the Holy Church, but even the Paladin's reputation echoed far and wide. The most powerful exorcist with a team of highly skilled and equally skilled warriors at her side. Karsima Gray…the Paladin.

Issei on the other hand had become a Devil after a fallen angel infiltrated his school and killed him because of Sacred Gear. The Boosted Gear held the spirit of the Red Dragon Emperor Ddraig. It would make sense why he was hunted. Rias Gremory reincarnated him and inducted him into her household, serving her as a Pawn.

Ryusei told them everything that had happened.

"You got off the island before you returned home?" Irina asked. "Why didn't you come back sooner?"

"I couldn't," Ryusei smiled bitterly. "In my mind, I thought that it'd be better if Issei had a life without someone like me. I owed a debt to Merrick and Alicia for saving my life…many times over. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't have survived all those years. They took me to Masyaf after we got off the island and gave me the Ryujin-Ichimonji. They trained me to be an assassin and soon enough I rose to the rank of Captain. And in the end…I couldn't repay their kindness."

"They sacrificed themselves for you, didn't they?" Issei asked. "They considered you family too, Ryusei. They loved you to the end."

"I know they do…" Ryusei smiled. "I loved them too."

"By the way Ryu-Kun," Irina tugged at his shirt. "What's the deal with Momo-San? She's giving you…"

Even without her finishing her sentence, Ryusei could feel the daggers that Momo's stares were giving her.

"That's another story," Ryusei said. "I'll tell you guys some other day."

A magic circle opened in the center of the hideout as Kamiya-Sensei appeared, stretching her arms. She looked to Ryusei and smirked.

"You my friend, have a lot of work to do," She said. "The devils are completely pissed, as expected. However it seemed kind of odd."

"Define, odd," Celeste said as the three of them joined the fray.

"I spoke with Rias Gremory, and she didn't show an ounce of hostility towards us for these actions," Sensei relayed. "If anything, it was her brother that seemed rather hostile. Something isn't right…"

"Do you think that Lucifer is up to something?" Reina asked Momo.

"I should not hope so," Momo crossed her arms. "Devil King Lucifer is one of the most influential people in the world, up there with the Pope, Mentor, and the Archangels. If he really is out for Sei-Chan, we have a problem on our hands."

Ryusei froze up. He slowly looked at her with wide eyes.

"W-What is it?" Momo asked. "Stop looking at me like that."

"Lieutenant," Reina said. "Did you just call him…Sei-Chan?"

It took Momo a second to realize her blunder, and she jumped all the way back to the back wall. "N-No…It's not…Don't…Don't look at me!" She jumped out the edge and ran for it.

"I'll find her," Reina bowed. "But it's nice to work with you again Captain. Been a long time."

"Indeed," Ryusei nodded. "But I'm not your captain anymore, Reina. In fact I'm pretty sure you're older than me."

"Ehehe," Reina saluted before dropping out the edge.

"What a weird bunch of people," Xenovia crossed her arms.

"I don't think we have any right to say that, Xenovia," Irina joined her in crossing her arms.

"Anyway," Sensei cleared her throat. "It's clear what actions we have to take now."

"It is?" Ryusei asked.

"There are various clans all over Kuoh and even outside of Kuoh," Sensei said. "You need to broker a treaty with each of them, or in the very least get them on our side. Something's stirring in the shadows and I can't tell what, and that makes me very annoyed."

"B-But brokering a treaty? I don't think he's suited to handle diplomacy like that," Issei protested.

"Are you sure?" Celeste smirked. "You're talking to the former Captain of the _Vashta Nerada." _

"The…What?" Emi asked.

"I've heard of them," Xenovia said. "The elite killing force of the Assassin's Order. I hear entering their ranks requires either the approval of the Captain or the Mentor. And even then the training is ridiculously insane. Each single assassin in the force is capable of deadly forms of assassination."

"And you're saying…" Issei gulped. "You were their leader?"

Yes…these were the eyes he was always used to. Everyone looked at him with either shock, confusion, or dread. He had gotten used to these stares ever since he was promoted to Captain, but still seeing these eyes from his friends felt rather weird.

"I'm not very well versed in diplomacy, but I can sure as hell give it a shot," Ryusei scratched his head. "I'll get Momo and Reina to come with me since they were my subordinates."

"I-I'm going to!" Emi raised her hand. "I can't let you go on these dangerous missions."

"But you're human," Celeste interjected. "Going into Shadow World clans as a human is dangerous enough, but an unarmed and untrained human is surely to die."

"You didn't have to be so harsh you know," Xenovia said.

"We don't need to sugarcoat anything anymore," Celeste said. "Things are getting out of hand as it is. We don't have the luxury of being nice to each other just to make ourselves feel better. If your resolve isn't there, you won't survive."

"So what do you suggest I do?" Emi asked, her confidence wavering.

"Easy," Celeste wrapped an arm around her. "You come with me. I'll get you into fighting shape in a few days."

"Oh I don't know about this one," Sensei rubbed her forehead. "You're going to kill the poor girl."

"What do you mean you stupid Angel!" Celeste growled. "I'm going to teach her how to use magic, seeing as she's so versed in this world. It'd be a shame to leave her untrained, if he gets caught out by surprise she'll die."

"Emi are you sure about this?" Ryusei asked. "I can't ask you to put your life in danger."

Emi balled her fist. "I'll do it. There's something I have to do, and this is the only way."

Ryusei smiled. "I see. I wish you the best of luck."

"But…" Emi tugged at his shirt. "There's something we have to talk about…later, if that's okay."

"Y-Yeah, that's fine I guess," Ryusei stuttered.

"That's perfect then," Sensei said. "Celeste, take her to the Fairy Court and train her. The rest of us here have something rather serious to discuss."

"I'm off then," Celeste nodded.

The Fairy took Emi by the arm and walked into a zipper, closing it on the way out. There was an air of silence that pierced the room. Something serious…

"There's something quite dangerous on it's way to Kuoh," Sensei proclaimed. "Something ancient, and very powerful."

"So you've gotten the news too then," Xenovia said.

"What is it?" Ryusei asked.

"We don't know," Irina said. "As far as we can tell, it's like a mash up of souls making it's way to Kuoh. We have about a week or two before it arrives."

"It's called the Reaper," Sensei explained. "I suppose you can call it an experiment gone wrong."

"An…experiment?" Issei gulped.

"I'll explain later on, but for now," Sensei crossed her arms. "All of you need to grow stronger and train. As we are now, we won't last long if anything happens."

"But how are we…" Issei balled his fist.

"I'm assuming you have training in mind, right?" Sensei looked right at Issei.

"W-What? Me?" Issei panicked.

**"She's talking to me, partner."** Issei's left forearm transformed into a red gauntlet. Ryusei had never seen it before…the Red Dragon's Gauntlet. So this is the Boosted Gear. **"Indeed, I have an idea. But it will require your help, Angel of Death." **

"That's not my name anymore, Ddraig," Sensei sighed. "I'm just…Kamiya Mizuki now."

**"I see. Pardon my ignorance, Kamiya Mizuki." **

"What's up with you? I've never seen you so polite," Issei said.

**"You're in the presence of an old and powerful being, partner. It'd be wise to remember that as you move on." **

With that, the gauntlet subsided and returned to Issei's hand.

"Old and powerful?" Ryusei asked. "Just who are you, Sensei?"

Mizuki smirked and patted his head. "I'm your teacher."

Sensei turned around to Xenovia and Irina. "I'm going to need you two to report this back to your Paladin. Tell her everything that happened exactly as it happened. And tell her that Trishula is awake, and the Reaper is on it's way."

"Y-Yes," Xenovia bowed, before walking away with Irina who waved good-bye.

"Ryusei," Sensei said. "Trishula is an extremely versatile and powerful being. You need to tame her if you wish to use that power, however until then, I forbid you from drawing the Ryujin-Ichimonji. Is that understood?"

"U-Understood," Ryusei balled his fists in frustration.

She nodded. "Once you find Momo and Reina, head to the wolf pack. Start with them as your first stop. Their alpha is a friend so surely he'll listen. Issei, go on home and tell your parents that Ryusei is on a school trip and that he won't be home for awhile."

"Yes mam." Issei nodded.

"And Asia," Sensei smiled. "I'm going to personally train your myself."

"W-What?" Asia gulped.

"Your Twilight Healing is extremely useful, but it seems you don't have a good grasp on it's power yet," Sensei said. "I'll teach you everything you need to know so you can better utilize it in combat. You want to help your brothers, don't you?"

"Y-Yes! I do!" Asia bowed. "I'm in your care, sensei."

"We're off then," Sensei rubbed Asia's head. "Be careful out there, both of you."

Once again, it was the two of them alone.

Ryusei walked to the edge of the hideout and watched the sunset one last time. Issei walked up and put his arms behind his head. "I still can't believe you're someone so important." Issei giggled.

"Thank you," Ryusei said. "For saving me."

"W-What are you saying?" Issei fumbled. "Don't thank me you weirdo. We're family."

A smile came across Ryusei's face. "Yeah, we are."

**Author's Note - Next few chapters will be a bit slow so I can flesh out a few characters as well as do a little training arc. I'll also focus on Rias a bit as well as introduce a few more OCs as minor characters. I hope you guys liked this chapter and sorry about the wait :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**10**

"C'mon Momo," Reina Trueblood complained. "Can you stop? You're acting really childish right now!"

Momo Morgenstern stopped in her tracks. Night had fallen in Kuoh after they had successfully freed Hyoudou Ryusei from his crazed rage from Trishula. She remembered the rage she felt in her chest when she saw Ryusei again. Her blood began to boil and her mind thought of nothing but violence. What had come over her back then…she was never the type of person to lash out in anger like that…why had she done something like that?

She balled her fist. Captain Hyoudou…he was forced to draw the Ryujin-Ichimonji during their fight. Did it really come to such a thing? Should Momo feel happy that she had grown so much? If the Captain was forced to draw that sword in her fight, did it mean that he thought he had no chance of winning?

"Do you really think we should stay, Reina?" Momo asked.

"Well…I don't know about you Lieutenant," Reina scratched her head. "But I don't really hold any grudges against the Captain."

"You know what he did, don't you?" Momo asked. "How can you forgive him for that?"

"You know Captain Hyoudou as well as I do, Lieutenant," Reina sat down on a park bench. "Does he really look like the type of person who would do such a heinous thing?"

Momo and Reina had walked all the way to a local park. The trees hid the two of them from sight and since it was night, there were hardly any people around. Momo wished she could have gone back to Masyaf with Captain Kurogane, she didn't want to be here around Captain Hyoudou as much as she knew she should be.

"What are we going to do about shelter?" Momo asked. "We're not exactly swimming in money."

Reina scratched her head. "I haven't really thought about it."

Momo walked over and sat next to her. "Was I…too hard on him?"

"Pardon?"

"Ryusei…" Momo played with her fingers. "Do you think he hates me?"

"The Captain?" Reina asked. "I'm not sure he's someone to ever hate anybody, Lieutenant."

Ever since Ryusei left the Order, she dedicated herself to growing so she could kill him. She watched as dozens of her comrades died that day, lives that could never be returned. She should be furious with him, she should be wanting to kill him with every fiber of her being, and yet…she couldn't bring herself to see him as anything but her Captain when she saw him. The Captain that had inducted her into the execution squad, the Captain who saw the potential in her she never knew she had…

"Do you think Captain Kurogane left us here so we could mend things?" Momo asked. "It's like him to pull an underhanded move like that isn't it?"

"You're telling me," Reina sighed. "There's gotta be a limit to how much he meddles."

"Should we talk to Ryusei?" Momo asked.

"Might be too late for that."

Momo widened her eyes. She looked to her side to see Ryusei. He was changed into casual clothes, wearing just a pair of sweats and a T-shirt. His hands were in his pockets as he looked at them. Momo automatically shot to her feet and faced him.

"W-Why are you here?" Momo asked.

"You need a place to stay, don't you?" He asked. "C'mon, you guys at stay at the loft."

Reina stood up. "Loft?"

"Kamiya-Sensei renovated the hideout with a few beds and even walls so it feels like a big apartment complex rather than a hideout now," Ryusei sighed. "Are you guys hungry? We have some food back there."

"Why are you helping us?" Momo asked. "We're your enemies."

"What are you talking about?" Ryusei raised an eyebrow. "We've been friends for years haven't we?"

Momo froze up. "Friends?"

Reina jumped at Ryusei and wrapped her arms around him, cuddling him from the side. "As expected of a former Captain."

"C'mon, it's late," Ryusei turned around. "Let's go home."

Momo followed Ryusei and Reina as the two caught up with each other. Momo listened in as he talked about the current situation he's in. He needed to broker peace with the surrounding Shadow World clans to form allies. The Devils have been moving forward with their plans, they needed to be prepared.

"Oh, Momo," Ryusei glanced back. "How's your brother? Is he doing okay?"

"Brother?" Momo asked. "Yes, he's doing fine."

"That's good," He smiled. "He's always so cold and stern, I'm glad to hear he's okay."

Why is he always like this? The situation is dire, they could be attacked by several groups and face death at any time, so why is he so calm? Why is he more worried other people and not himself? She never understood where that kindness came from.

"Captain, what are we going to do now?" Reina asked.

"Well I suppose we have to start by making allies anywhere we can," Ryusei put his arms behind his head. "We'll start with the Kuoh wolf pack. I'm heading there tomorrow and I'd like the two of you to come with me."

"Why us?" Momo asked.

"Well aside from Celeste and Sensei, the two of you are the only ones who are versed in diplomacy and espionage," Ryusei explained. "You'll be acting as my bodyguards tomorrow so you'd better play the part." He winked.

"Please," Momo scoffed and crossed her arms. "As if you of all people need bodyguards."

"Well it's the easiest way for me to bring along help," Ryusei's tone suddenly grew serious. "There's a storm coming, and we need to be prepared."

They walked the rest of the way in silence until they arrived at the loft. Indeed Kamiya Mizuki has renovated the place. The edges had wooden walls framing the entire loft with separate rooms built into it. The main living room was just a straight walk from the front door with bathrooms and closets along the way. A large table lay in the center of the living room that acted as a meeting place for everyone. To the left was a miniature kitchen and to the right was a training area with dummies and weapons.

"You weren't kidding when you said she renovated this place," Reina said. "I can't believe it looks this different from just a few hours ago."

"You guys can use the bedrooms over there," Ryusei walked towards the kitchen. "After you get shower and get changed, I'll make some tea for us."

Momo was still hesitant about all of this. She wasn't exactly sure Ryusei was to be trusted, but her gut was telling her to despite how her head was on guard. She and Reina undressed and entered the bathroom. There was a single large bathtub where Reina just jumped straight in. Her purple hair was braided over her shoulder and relaxed in the tub.

"Oh man this feels great," Reina sighed in relief. "What's wrong Lieutenant?"

Momo covered herself with a towel and sat down by the faucet. "I can't forgive him, Reina. I just can't."

"That's…understandable," Reina pulled her knees to her chest. "Merrick and Alicia were among the dead, weren't they?"

Momo nodded. Merrick Malitar was Momo and Eiji's first teacher. He taught them a lot when they were kids and was their inspiration for becoming assassins. He was a Captain of the execution squad who retired to being a member of the Council and promoted Ryusei to the rank of captain. It was during Ryusei's time as Captain that the execution squad rose through the ranks and Momo,Eiji, and Ryusei became the known as the top team.

"Do you know what happened?" Momo asked.

Reina shook her head. "I was out on a mission, but when I came back…"

"Merrick and Alicia sealed Trishula into the Ryujin-Ichimonji," Momo explained. "The sealed sword of fate. They gave it to Ryusei for him to tame it's power. But during one of their training sessions…"

"I lost control." Ryusei voice echoed through the bathroom.

Momo looked to the door to see Ryusei's back leaning against the tinted sliding door.

"C-Captain!" Momo instinctively covered herself and fell back towards the tub.

"It was my fault," Ryusei said. "They told me that I wouldn't be able to handle Trishula's full magic release, but I wanted to prove them wrong. So I loosened Trishula's seal a bit…"

"You were taken over," Momo realized. "Just like earlier."

"Yeah," Ryusei said in a grim voice. "Trishula's power overwhelmed me and the Guard Squads rushed to deal with me. I killed all those people, and Merrick and Alicia sacrificed themselves to tighten Trishula's seal once again."

Momo had no idea that's what happened. She was in Masyaf at the time, but she wasn't near the site of the incident. Once she arrived at the scene, a field of corpses lay at her feet with Ryusei the sole survivor with Ryujin-Ichimonji in his hand.

"Soon afterwards, the Council decided to execute me for my actions," Ryusei said.

"So you decided to run?" Reina asked.

"If I died, it would mean that Alicia and Merrick sacrificed their lives for nothing," Ryusei curled up. "So I took the notebook that Alicia left behind and returned to Kuoh. To cross off every single name on that list, so that I could at least atone for my sins."

"But Captain…" Reina said. "It doesn't sound like you did anything wrong. It wasn't your fault."

"It was," Ryusei said. "I killed them. I killed Alicia and Merrick."

"Captain…" Momo said.

"It'd be better off if I was dead," Ryusei said with a snicker. "I always thought that if I stayed to die instead of running, maybe things would have ended differently. You two would still be in Masyaf, Eiji-San would run the squad in a way I couldn't…"

Momo got up and opened the door, Ryusei falling backwards and looking up at her. Why was she crying? He was admitting it, it was all his fault, he killed all her friends…so why was she…

"Don't say that…" Momo balled her fists. "Don't you dare say that."

"Momo…"

"You were the one who saved me…" Momo fell on her knees as Ryusei got up to face her. "You were the one who saved me that day, so don't say that you should be dead…"

"You should kill me, Momo," Ryusei said. "At least that way, I know you'd be at peace."

"Peace?" Momo was trembling. "What kind of girl would be at peace if she killed one of her closest friends?"

She cuddled up to Ryusei's chest and cried in his arms. Reina stood up from her tub with her hands on her hips and stared at Ryusei.

"You know Captain," Reina said. "I know this is a touching moment and all, but I'd appreciate it if you didn't come into a woman's bath and act like nothing happened."

"Oh please," Ryusei said. "It's not like I've never seen girls naked before."

"Oh?" Momo got up and stared down at Ryusei. "So you've seen girls naked before, have you?"

Ryusei widened his eyes. "W-Wait, Momo. That's not what I meant…"

Momo's towel covering her body flopped open and fell down. Her face turned beet red as Ryusei stared at her naked body.

"Y-You…" Ryusei gulped. "You've grown up since the last time I saw you, huh?"

"Captain!" Momo covered her chest as she round house kicked Ryusei in the face hard enough that he flew right through the bathroom door and landed in another wall.

"L-Lieutenant…" Reina got out from the tub. "That would kill a normal man."

"S-Serves him right," Momo picked up her towel and cover herself.

Was she really okay with this? For a whole year Ryusei's been her enemy. She's trained herself so she could kill him. What was this feeling in her chest?

**…**

The next morning Ryusei, along with Momo and Reina, walked to the den of the werewolf pack. They were all dressed in casual clothes but still had weapons concealed on them. Reina in fact had an old weapon the assassin's used, a blade hidden on her bottom forearm. Ryusei heard that the assassins in ancient times used them to kill their targets in broad daylight, even in crowded areas when their presence is concealed.

"Do you guys know anything about the wolf pack, Captain?" Reina asked.

"You might wanna stop calling me Captain, Reina," Ryusei said. "I"m not your Captain anymore remember?"

Reina scratched her head and laughed. "Yeah sorry Ryusei. I guess I'm just way too used to it."

"Their alpha is Leonidas Wolfbloom, isn't it?" Momo asked. "I've heard stories about him even in Masyaf."

"What have you heard?" Ryusei asked.

"He's a pacifist," Reina continued. "He's a true alpha in every sense of the word. He's probably the best leader the wolves of this town have ever had."

"Why do I feel like there's more," Ryusei sighed.

"He's an extremely talented tactician," Momo said. "Though his laid back personality may not show it, he has the brightest mind in the human and supernatural world. We should be wary of him, Captain."

"I said not to call me that," Ryusei sighed.

"R-Ryusei…" Momo fidgeted with her fingers.

They were approaching the wolf territory. It was located in the eastern parts of Kuoh. This was the central hub for all the commercialism coming in and out of the city. Most werewolves worked in the stalls and shops here in order to make money and build relations with humans and Shadow World denizens alike. Ryusei had to be honest, he hadn't been here in years so he didn't exactly know what to make of it all now.

Setting foot in the district was like stepping into a festival ground. It was early in the morning so there weren't that many people, however there were a few dozens humans roaming about and checking out the stalls. Numerous amounts of stalls and shops were beginning to set up, however their eyes were fixed on Ryusei, Momo and Reina. So they noticed their presence after all.

"Hey mister," A rather large man walked up to them from a shop. He was easily over six feet with large muscles and a beady look in his eyes. "Can I help you with something? Looking to explore or did you wanna visit anywhere in particular."

"Actually, I was looking for a man named Leonidas Wolfbloom," Ryusei said. "Can you tell me where he is?"

He was a warrior, even Ryusei could tell. His skin was darkened with scars all over his arms. He was a battle hardened warrior not to be messed with.

"What do you want with our boss?" The man asked.

"Vinny!" A feminine voice called the man from behind. From the utter dread on the man's face, Ryusei figured it wasn't anything good. Popping up from behind him was a girl half his size with long blonde hair and cold gray eyes. "What do you think you're doing? Get your shop up in ten minutes or else we're going to have promise."

"Y-Yes, of course my lady," The man, the huge mountain of a man, bowed to the girl and hurried off.

The girl sighed and looked to Ryusei and the girls. "Sorry about that, he's a giant but he's actually just a pushover. Can I help you with anything? It's still early so not a lot of shops are open yet."

"We're looking for a man named Leonidas," Momo said. "Can you tell us where we can find him?"

"Leo?" The girl raised an eyebrow. "He's up in the penthouse…" The girl finally noticed Ryusei and observed with him with her eyes. "Wait a minute…I've seen you before."

"We met in the court room a while ago," Ryusei smiled. "I'm Hyoudou Ryusei, it's a pleasure."

"You're the doofus who's caught in between the factions, huh?" The girl slightly smirked. "Follow me, I'll lead you to Leo."

"Thank you," Reina smiled.

Ryusei's group followed the girl through the district. He was amazed at how well this place was doing. They were selling basic festival food and goods but they were starting to attract a lot of people.

"R-Ryusei…" Reina tugged at his shirt. "That takoyaki looks really good…"

"Save it for later will ya?" Ryusei sighed. "We're here on business."

"Try and be more professional Reina," Momo said in a serious tone, however the growling of her stomach betrayed her. Her mouth dropped in an embarrassing pout.

"See? You're hungry too!" Reina laughed.

"Shut up! We're on business remember?" Ryusei growled. "Can you two try to at least act professional?"

"I-It's not my fault if I'm hungry!" Momo shot back.

"Then just admit it!" Reina smirked.

The girl in front of them giggled. "You guys sure are a lively bunch, aren't you?"

"They're a pain in the ass is what they are," Ryusei sighed and scratched his head. "Sorry, I don't think I got your name."

"It's Luka," The girl smiled. "Luka Wolfbloom."

"Wolfbloom? Does that mean you're related to Leonidas?" Reina asked.

"Not exactly blood related," Luka explained. "The bond between an Alpha and his pack is far stronger than that of blood or love. There isn't really an human word I can think of that can properly explain it."

Ryusei never knew much of werewolf traditions, but the Alpha and pack bond sounded pretty amazing.

The penthouse was actually more of an old apartment building that was slightly renovated. The top floor of the building had a great view of the entire district that was easily as big as his own hideout. In each corner were training areas for different wolves and sitting behind a desk in the far back was a man in his early twenties with long silver hair and gray eyes. He had a few people around him who were talking to him while he was filling out some paperwork.

"Leo!" Luka cried. "You've got some visitors!"

"Can it wait?" Leo asked without even looking towards them, rushing through the papers. "These stupid stalls are costing us money and with this stupid festival coming up, we've gotta pump out product by the second."

"I think you're gonna want to talk to these people Leo," Luka led the three of them through the room.

All eyes in the room suddenly were fixed on them, even the guys who were punching sandbags and wrestling each other stopped to look. If things went bad, getting out of here was gonna be a pain.

"My Lord is busy at the moment, Luka," A girl with long teal hair crossed her arms and faced the group. "Try coming back later."

"Cut the crap Saya, you and I both know I have authority over you," Luka gave her a smirk.

"I like her," Reina giggled.

"What did you say?" Saya growled.

"Cool it you two," Leo sighed and finally look up. "Ryusei-Kun! You're finally here!" Leo got up from his desk and hurried over. "Celeste told me you'd be dropping by soon. What can I do for you?"

"Is there somewhere we can talk alone?" Momo asked. "We're here on business after all."

"Insolence," Saya growled. "What gives you the right to demand an audience with our Lord?"

"Relax Saya," Leo waved his hand. "Alright everybody! Can you give us the room for a few minutes? Sorry for the sudden interruption!"

The wolves began to clear the room one by one. "You guys can leave two," Leo turned to speak to the two girls. "I'd like Luka to stay however."

"B-But My Lord," The other girl, with shorter teal hair, said.

"I'll be fine, don't worry," Leo smiled and patted their heads. "I'm counting on you guys to make sure things are okay out there. Report to me if anything happens."

"M-My Lord," The two bowed before vanishing.

The doors closed, leaving only the five of them in the room. Leo had Luka with him while Ryusei and Reina and Momo at his back. This was his first diplomatic negotiation, surely it can't go that bad.

"So?" Leo asked, leaning back against his desk. "How can the Alpha of the Kuoh wolf pack help you? What brings you three out here?"

"We'd like to discuss a potential alliance between our two forces," Momo was the first to speak. "As you know, we're in quite the predicament as of yesterday. I'm sure you're well aware."

"The Dragon God being unleashed, albeit temporarily," Luka said. "We had to set up several layers of protection around our district in order to avoid the conflict. I can't believe you guys actually managed to regain control."

"There isn't a lot we can tell you unless you agree to a treaty between us," Ryusei said. "However I can tell you that something much worse is headed to Kuoh."

"The Reaper," Leo said to Ryusei's surprise. "I'm very well aware of the threat we face, Hyoudou Ryusei. However I won't put my people in the line of danger if I can avoid fighting."

"So you're going to turn tail and run?" Reina asked.

"In almost a hundred years of life, I've learned quite a few things about this world," Leo smiled. "Jumping into a battle without any knowledge of who your opponent is or what they can do is a guarantee of death. Do you really want to do this?"

"I don't have a choice," Ryusei balled his fist. "We have enough to deal with at the moment, and the Reaper coming here is just making things worse. The conditions with the Devils are at an all time low-"

"They want you dead, don't they?" Leo asked. "I can tell you that the Crimson Ruined Princess has nothing to do with this. If anything, it's the Devil King Lucifer who's pulling the strings."

"We're aware," Ryusei said. "So will you help us?"

"If I say yes," Leo smirked. "What would you like me to do?"

"Nothing," Momo said. "You don't have to do anything or change your way of life. However the Alpha of the Kuoh wolf pack agreeing to a peace treaty with us would set a good example for future endeavors."

"So you're going to use us as a stepping stone, huh?" Luka asked, with a maniacal look on her face.

"So we won't have to fight?" Leo asked.

"Not at the moment, no," Ryusei said. "Do we have an agreement?" He reached his hand out and smiled. "I've heard the Alpha of the Kuoh pack is a man of his word, is he not?"

"This is interesting indeed," Leo returned his handshake. "Very well. The Kuoh Wolf Pack shall work with you, you have our support."

"It was that easy?" Reina asked. "I thought you'd put up more of a fight."

Leo laughed. "I'm not that mean of a person, don't worry. However I'll give you a heads up, just because I agreed to this treaty doesn't exactly mean my men will. Proceed with caution, Ryusei."

"I appreciate the heads up, Leo," Ryusei smiled.

"And also another thing," Leo said. "There's a certain village in the outskirts of Kuoh that the wolves have been protecting for a long time. Legend says that they're blessed by the gods with elemental powers. You might wanna go talk to them too if you're planning on expanding your ranks."

Ryusei narrowed his eyes. "A village…with elemental powers?"

**…**

Issei stood alone in the forest just on the outskirts of town. The trees shrouded him from human sight as well as hid his training. He's been out here ever since the break of dawn, taming his demonic power and trying to master the Boosted Gear.

According to Ddraig, the Boosted Gear holds more power than simply boosting the user's own power. So far, Issei's only been able to boost his own ability every few seconds, but he had to try and take it to a new level. That power he used when he was fighting Momo in those last few minutes, when his body transformed into a dragon…he had to draw out that power once again.

**"Clear your mind partner," **Ddraig said once again. **"Imagine my body through your mind, and use the Boosted Gear to manipulate your own body. Imagine anything you'd like." **

Imagine…anything…he'd like. Issei closed his eyes and imagined it. The image of Ryusei when he was taken over by Trishula. The ice covering his body and the dragon on his arm. If Ryusei could do it…so can he.

Issei felt his body begin to tingle. His Boosted Gear manifested and the orb began to glow a brilliant green. He felt a sudden change come forth…

The pain was mild, but he still felt it nonetheless. His arms transformed into talons, his legs arched and turned into claws, a pair of dark wings sprouted on his back and his teeth turned to fangs. Issei unleashed a powerful roar that pushed all the trees back and elevated the wind.

**"You did it partner!" **Ddraig laughed. **"To think you'd achieve a partial Balance Breaker. I'm impressed." **

"Balance Breaker?" Issei asked.

**"The final stage of a Sacred Gear achieved through a powerful surge of emotion. The bond you and your brother share, as well as your desire to protect him…I'd imagine those were the two forces that paved a way for your Balance Breaker," **Ddraig explained. **"However it will take more training if we want to achieve a full Balance Break. Keep at it partner." **

"Obviously," Issei smirked.

His Balance Breaker...Issei wouldn't admit it, but he was envious of Ryusei's power. Aside from Trishula, he was talented in combat and cared so deeply for others. Issei wondered if he would ever be able to be like his brother. How pathetic, it should be the older brother who sets a good example for the younger one, not the other way around.

Issei held out his arms and concentrated. The move that Momo did…the Burning Phoenix Blade, maybe he can do that too. His demonic energy pulled itself into spiraling waves around his forearms, and slowly concentrated into smaller waves as he brought his hands together in front of him. The green energy pulled together into a small orb as Issei brought it to his side. He unleashed the attack towards the trees, blasting a powerful beam of light that eradicated everything in it's path. The trails of the attack left nothing but completely burned trees and hollowed out grounds.

"What the hell…" He felt so powerful. It was as if adrenaline had been shot in his heart, he felt invincible.

"Issei…" A voice said to him from the trees.

Issei turned to see Rias. She walked forth from the trees and smiled at him. "You've gotten so strong in just a few days."

"P-Prez…" Issei erased his transformation and returned to his normal body. Now that he was out of that form, he felt like his energy was fading. He fell to his knees as his legs gave out.

"Issei!" Rias ran over and helped him up, pulling him towards a tree and setting his head on her lap. She stroked his hair and smiled at him. "I guess I was right to choose you after all. I'm so proud of you, Issei."

"B-But I…" Issei gritted his teeth.

"You stood up for what you believed in, Issei," Rias said. "You stood up against me to stand with your family. I couldn't be more proud of you."

_But you're my family too…_

"Issei, I'm afraid this isn't just a friendly visit," Her voice grew cold. "My brother…the Devil King Lucifer, he seems to have gone mad."

"W-What?"

"He's ordered the capture of Hyoudou Ryusei by any means necessary," Rias informed him. "He has us, as well as Sona's peerage scouring the entire city. They have orders to attack on site."

Issei mustered up his strength and sat up. "Why is he going so far? What could he…"

"Probably…that sword," Rias said. "We were ordered to investigate the accident yesterday, however an angel intervened and ordered us to stay back. She fixed the town as well as altered the memories of any human who witnessed the attack. What Ryusei did, it's casted the last domino Issei."

"The last domino?"

"Up until now, I've been able to keep him from making any rash decisions because I've been able to convince him that maybe Ryusei could be an ally, however after that attack, he has been deemed a threat to the three factions," Rias explained. "A meeting will take place soon between the three leaders of the Devils, Fallen Angels, and Angels to decide on how to deal with Ryusei. If all three factions agree that he's a threat, he'll have the forces of all three factions on him. I doubt that even someone of his caliber will be able to hold them back."

Why was all of this happening? Issei gritted his teeth. There was just way too much to deal with right now. What was he going to do? His mind began to grow blank. Would he able to help? How though? He wasn't nearly as strong as everyone else. What good was he to them?

"We'll be able to handle it."

Issei turned to see Irina and Xenovia. Where had they been all this time?

"Rias Gremory," Irina said. "You underestimate the influence that Ryu-Kun has on the people he's touched. He's not so alone as you would think. If he can't win by himself, we'll fight by him."

"I-Irina….Xenovia…" Issei gulped.

"We've been ordered to stay as Hyoudou Ryusei's observers, and as such we can't allow him to die just yet," Xenovia said.

"Do you really think you can do it?" Rias asked. "Things are going to get very complicated soon, Issei."

Issei stood up and took in a deep breath. "Whatever comes our way, we'll handle it somehow. Don't worry about me Prez."

Rias stood up with a grin on her face. "You've really matured in such a short amount of time, haven't you Issei. I couldn't be more proud."

"Prez…"

"I'll keep you updated whenever I can, Issei." Rias smiled. "Be careful, and good luck." She disappeared in a magic circle.

Issei fell to his knees as felt the life leave his body.

"Issei-Kun!" Irina ran to his side.

"Why is all of this happening?" Issei balled his fists. "Dammit…"

"Stand, Hyoudou Issei," Xenovia said. "Don't falter here. Grow in strength and confidence. We will train with you, just as all of your friends are."

"My friends?"

Irina nodded. "Kamiya-Sensei is training Asia to heal long distance as well as enhance the scope of her Twilight Healing. Celeste Clearwater is training Emi-Chan to use magic. Even Ryu-Kun is training with Momo and Reina to become stronger. That means so will you."

Issei balled his fists. How pathetic…everyone's working so hard and here he was complaining about how hard things were. If he couldn't stand here, he has no right to stand by Ryusei's side.

"Let's do this," Issei said.

**…**

Ryusei sat in the Central Park with Momo and Reina. What Leo said about the village of people with the ability to manipulate the elements began to weigh on him. He had heard about them from Alicia…back on Lian-Yu.

"Ryusei? Are you okay?" Reina asked. "You've barely eaten your crepe."

"I'm fine," He mustered a smile. "Just beginning to think about what we should do now."

"Who should we approach next?" Momo asked. "I don't think we should affiliate with the vampires for awhile."

"How about the Fairies?" Reina asked. "Oberon and Titania are fairly open minded, plus we could use the Fairies on our side in the future."

"Agreed, but there's something else on my mind," Ryusei said. "Hiro and Hina…I wonder what they're up to right now."

As if on queue, a voice pierced through the crowd and took Ryusei by surprise.

"Senpai!" Hina shouted and waved her hand.

Hiro and Hina were across the street, wearing casual clothes and carrying bags. They must have been out shopping. He hadn't seen them since the science club…

"Senpai, are you okay?" Hina asked. "I haven't seen you since yesterday…"

"Ryusei…" Hiro said. "Are you really that guy in the mask who saved Hina?"

Dammit…

"Yeah," Ryusei said, hiding his face. "I'm sorry Hiro, I never wanted you to find out. I wanted you and Emi to live as humans, not get dragged up into this stupid world. I thought…at least I could protect the normalcy in your lives."

Hiro dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around Ryusei, to his complete shock. Speechless, he watched as Hiro began to tremble and cry.

"Thank you…" Hiro said. "Thank you for saving my little sister…Thank you so much…Thank you…"

"Hiro…" Ryusei pushed him back and grabbed his shoulders. "Listen to me, you cannot tell anyone about this. We're caught in something…complicated right now. And I have a feeling you're going to get dragged in too."

"I don't care," Hiro said, taking Ryusei's hand. "I'm going to help you, Ryusei. Hina and I will do whatever we can to help you, even if it's not much."

"W-What?"

Hina popped to the side and smiled at Ryusei. "You're my hero, Senpai. I'll do everything I can to help you as much as I can."

"By the way," Hiro whispered. "Who are the two beauties?"

Ryusei became flustered. "T-These are my friends from back in the day. Momo, Reina, this is my classmate Hiro and his younger sister Hina."

"It's a pleasure," Reina smiled and stood up.

"I'm pleased to be your acquaintance," Momo bowed with a hand over her chest.

"Please to meet you," Hina smiled and took their hands.

"Do you guys wanna join us for some lunch?" Hiro asked. "We were about to go to a cafe nearby."

"Can we really?" Reina asked as her eyes lit up.

Ryusei smiled and got up, following his friends new and old as they walked on the street. An image of Merrick, Alicia, Momo, Eiji, and himself appeared in his mind. He wished that these moments of normalcy could last forever…if he only ever knew…

**Author's Note - Sorry for the long wait, but I'll be focusing more on Asia, Issei, and Emi next chapter rather then Ryusei and the others. It might be a good chance for me to further the world building since I'm adding new elements into this story that weren't in the original. Anyway, I hope you guys liked this chapter and I'll see you soon :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**11**

Emi had always read the stories as a kid with her sister. Ancient fables of the supernatural creatures who exist at the summit of human imagination. She had always wondered where the Fairies resided, but this was something she could never have imagined no matter how vast of an imagination she had.

"C'mon, I'm gonna leave you behind if you don't keep up," Celeste Clearwater waved her hand as she sped up her pace.

The Fairy Court was located in a parallel pocket dimension, according to Celeste. In this world, there resided a single gargantuan tree that towered as high as Emi could possibly see. It seemed ancient, with a staircase leading up to a massive pair of doors guarded by two men in armor. Surrounding the tree were numerous amounts of huts and tents that must have been a quasi city or capitol of the Fairies. The sky was clear as marble and the ground was so green. Emi was having a hard time believing she was actually here.

"Lady Celeste," One of the guards said as the two approached the door. "Welcome home. Shall I inform the Queen?"

"Yes please," Celeste smiled. "And this is my friend, Himegami Emi. She shall be treated like royalty for the time being so give her anything she needs whenever she needs it."

The two guards slammed their spears on the ground. "Yes, my lady." The both exclaimed at once.

Emi cowered behind Celeste as the doors opened. "You didn't have to do that, Celeste. I'm not royalty."

"It's a favor for you," Celeste said. "Trust me."

The inside of the tree defied every law of physics and common sense that Emi had ever known. While on the outside it was a round, albeit incredibly large tree, the inside the doors was an incredibly long and vast hallway with numerous doors on either side. Outside every few rooms hung a grand chandelier from the high and arched ceiling that illuminated the path. The walls were tree barks with an infinitely long red carpet trimmed with gold.

"What…in…the…" Emi's jaw metaphorically dropped.

"Impressive right?" Celeste smirked. "C'mon, say it. You know you want to."

Emi gulped. "It's…bigger on the inside. It's actually bigger on the inside."

Celeste burst out laughing. "My father really loves the old Doctor Who show so he incorporated Fairy magic into the castle to expand the space inside. Every visitor has the same reaction."

"This place is amazing," Emi said, still having a hard time comprehending it all.

"The throne room should be up ahead, stay near me okay?" Celeste held out her hand as a magic circle formed.

Emi watched in awe as the single hallway split into two and diverged into two turns right in front of them. Parting from space was another pair of doors that looked like it was made of pure gold. Walking forward, the gates opened by themselves as the two made their way inside.

She thought the outside was impressive, however walking inside, Emi felt her head explode. It was a vast and bright room with enough space between the doors and the actual thrones to throw and entire football part. On either side of the pathway were two extremely long tables that were mostly empty however there were a few people sitting around with tons of children playing and flying about. The floors were grand marble with the walls and ceiling painted a mix of sky blue and snow white. The ceiling had a large dome that was made of glass that gave view to the beautiful sky.

"Mother! Father!" Celeste waved as the two walked forward.

"Celeste!" A beautiful woman who looked to be in her twenties walked forward with her arms open. She had beautiful silky white hair and blue eyes. She wore a simply black and white dress with her top being white and her bottom a long and lacy combination of stripes. It was simple and not a lot of people would say it looked pretty, however this woman was truly beautiful wearing such a simple outside. Her skin was pale, yet glossy. Emi couldn't take her eyes off of her.

"Where's Minerva? Is she still here?" Celeste asked.

The woman shook her head. "She took her squad out on a recon mission just before you came back." The woman noticed Emi. "Who is this? A friend?"

Emi stiffened with nervousness. "H-Hello! It's nice to meet you. My name is Himegami Emi." She bowed.

"Please, there's no need to be so formal," The woman walked over and helped Emi up from her bow. "You're always welcome here if you are a friend of my daughters." Her eyes widened. "Oh? You're human?"

"Y-Yes, I'm afraid," Emi felt a wave of shame wash over her.

"Mother, that's quite rude," Celeste frowned.

"My deepest apologies Emi, I meant no disrespect by my comment," The woman smiled. "We don't usually get human visitors in our Court. I was just surprised, please don't take it to heart."

"N-No, it's okay. I understand," Emi mustered a smile.

"Emi," Celeste smiled. "This is my mother, Titania. She's the Queen of the Fairy Court."

"A pleasure," Titania curtsied and smiled.

"What have we here?" A man in his middle twenties walked over and wrapped an arm around Titania. He was a handsome and confident man with short purple hair much like Celeste's. He wore a black T-shirt with a long and decorated gold and black coat.

"Dear, this is Himegami Emi. She's a friend of Celeste's." Titania introduced her.

Emi bowed once again. "It's an honor…your highness."

"Oh don't get all formal on me," The man laughed. "I am called Oberon. Welcome to the illustrious Castle Oberon!" The man extended his arms out with a confident smirk.

Titania elbowed Oberon in the side with a seriously scary and maniacal look in her eye. "We are not calling it Castle Oberon." A simple yet dangerously serious sentence backed up with a hostile tone. It was a quick 180 flip of personalities from the kind and gentle person she had spoken too just seconds ago.

Oberon held his side in pain. "R-Right. Sorry, dear."

Emi suddenly understood the relationship and hierarchy of this family. Oberon may have been king, but Titania was one hundred percent the person in charge. She had a strong aura about her that demanded everyone's attention and had the subtle confidence to back it all up. It was incredible…Titania might be the most amazing woman Emi had ever met.

Celeste sighed. "I'm going to show Emi to an empty room near mine. She'll be staying here for awhile."

"Very well honey," Titania smiled. "Please let the the maids know if you need anything Emi. Welcome to our home, please make yourself at home."

"T-Thank you," Emi bowed before being escorted back out by Celeste.

Celeste sighed once they closed the doors behind them. "Sorry about that. My family is kind of…eccentric."

"Your parents are very interesting," Emi giggled. "I'm glad I got to meet them."

"Are you sure you don't need to go home first?" Celeste asked. "Won't your parents be worried?"

"My…" Emi forced herself to speak. "My mother committed suicide when my sister disappeared on a plane accident, and my father's lost his mind trying to find her. He won't notice if I'm away."

Celeste was quiet. Was she just conflicted on what to say? Either way, Emi felt relieved that she didn't press for any information or gave her any sentimental nonsense like everyone else.

"We're here," Celeste said as she stopped in front of adjacent rooms. "You can take this room. I'll be across the hall if you need anything. Get some rest tonight, tomorrow we're gonna begin your training."

Celeste was about to open her door however she stopped before touching the knob. "Emi, if you need to talk or ask me anything, don't be afraid to ask okay?"

Emi was wide eyed with shock. She never pinned Celeste as someone so kind. She came off cold and distant, however around her parents she was more friendly and kind. But this was something else…

"Y-Yeah," Emi smiled. "Thank you, Celeste."

Without saying anything, Celeste entered her room and closed the door. Emi did the same and felt the energy leave her body as she closed the door behind her.

Her room was rather large, with a single bed in the middle of a wall with night stands on either side. To the back wall was a window that nearly took over the whole wall. Across from the bed was a desk with a book case next to it filled with fiction and history books. After walking past the hallway, there were two drawers next to the bed for clothes and a closet.

Emi jumped into bed and dived into her thoughts. What a day. She saw something incredibly terrifying yet awe inspiring in Ryusei's ice dragon transformation. She witnessed as people from an organization she had been tracking for years finally showed themselves, and instead of killing Ryusei like they were ordered to, helped save him. She met two exorcists who were after Ryusei as well, and now she was laying in bed in a massive castle in a gargantuan tree in a different dimension. Could her life get any weirder?

Ryusei. If Emi's guess was right, that means he was the linchpin in all of this. Everything that's happened since he came back, it was all because of him. Thanks to Kamiya-Sensei, she. Ryusei, and even Hiro were given breaks from school to focus on their training. But she wondered if they could ever return to their normal lives after this is all over…will it ever be over? She felt like she was drawn into an entirely new world that both terrified her and intrigued her. Could she ever go back? Does she even _want _to go back?

Thinking about everything, Emi took off her hair tie and let her hair free. She began to think on her friends and her life, until she eventually fell asleep and slipped into her dreams.

**…**

Asia stood in the middle of a massive and beautiful meadow somewhere in Europe. All around her was a vast expanse of green, numerous amounts of trees circled her with a mountain range off in the distance. The sky was a clear sea void of any clouds and the sun beamed on her. It was a beautiful sight that she engraved into her memory. She immediately wished Issei and Ryusei were with her to share this view with her.

"How are you feeling?" Kamiya-Sensei appeared behind her.

Kamiya-Sensei was a complete mystery to Asia. She was a beauty dressed in a typical teacher's outfit. She wore a partially button white top tucked into a tight black skirt with stockings and garters. She had short cut jet black hair and mesmerizing black eyes. She carried herself with such confidence and an all-knowing personality, backed with an unknown power and ominous past that drew Asia deeper into the mystery that was Kamiya Mizuki.

"Where are we sensei?" Asia asked.

"Greece," Sensei pointed into the mountain range, at the tallest peak far in the distance. "That's Mount Olympus, or at least that's what most people think. Isn't it beautiful?"

"It is," Asia smiled. "I wish every day could be as peaceful and beautiful as this."

"That's a nice wish to strive for," Sensei smiled. "Before we start, would you like to know more about your Sacred Gear?"

"Y-Yes," Asia said. "I know that Twilight Healing has the power to heal people, but I don't know the extent of it."

"You're right that Twilight Healing is a healing type Sacred Gear," Sensei crossed her arms. "However as of right now, the extent of your healing is limited to physical injuries and even then, it cannot heal lost limps or poison. In addition, you cannot heal people from a distance."

Asia felt a wave of shame and worthlessness wash over her. She knew she was rather weak, with a frail body, and was next to worthless in a fight. But that's why she was here. She wanted to grow stronger, to be useful to Issei or Ryusei. Now that she was a Stray Devil, she had to grow stronger.

"I want to get stronger, sensei," Asia balled her fists. "Please, teach me."

A smirk came on her face. "We'll start with adding distance to your Twilight Healing. There's a lot of room for improvement so I hope you're prepared."

Asia nodded.

Sensei held out her hand as a white magic circle appeared. Behind Asia, the ground began to crumble and crack as several golems pulled themselves up. They were around 6 feet with bodies made entirely of rocks and rubble. They were large and looked scary, yet they didn't move as soon as they were up. There were around six or seven of them, all lined up next to each other.

"We'll start with golems before moving onto humans," Sensei said. That one sentence gave Asia quite a scare. "My magic will automatically rebuild their bodies, so I'll disable that for now. Get close to one of them after I damage them and use Twilight Healing. Each time, you'll back up a certain amount and try it again."

"Understood," Asia nodded.

Kamiya-Sensei shot a blast of white magic that blew a hole right through the middle golem. Asia ran over and used Twilight Healing. At this range, with her making direct contact, the golem's body began to rebuild itself. It was working…wait, it was working?

"Did you notice?' Sensei asked, walking towards her. "Before, Twilight Healing only works with humans, Angels, Fallen Angels, or Devils. However you're using it on a being with no live."

"How is that possible?" Asia asked.

"Simplest explanation is that your magic is beginning to evolve simply by being exposed to Ryusei," Sensei smiled. "I bet even he doesn't know, but he possesses a certain gift for drawing out people's hidden potentials. Your magic is already evolving and growing, so we're going to draw out as much potential as we can. First was the healing of living beings, now the healing of magical beings, then we'll focus on distance healing."

Asia nodded, her determination growing. Ryusei was truly amazing. When she was around him, Asia felt the urge to push herself. Issei had put himself in danger fighting Momo, knowing full well that he might die, yet he did it anyway. He did it simply because he wanted to protect what was precious to him…and yet she couldn't do a thing. She couldn't do anything to help Issei or Ryusei, she'd never felt so useless in her life. She had to catch up to them if she wanted to stand by them in the future.

"For this," Sensei said. "Imagine your healing as a projectile. You're going to have to imagine it like a shot that can be blasted from any distance. Concentrate Twilight Healing into a ball, shape it and form it until you feel like it's right," She held out her hand as a white flame combusted. Slowly, it swirled and formed into a smooth and fluid ball. "Shooting it will depend on your own strength. Just try shooting it as far as you can for now."

Asia nodded. Sensei blasted another hole in the golem after she had healed it. Asia backed up a few feet and closed her eyes. She imagined Twilight Healing like a flame on her hand. She saw what Momo had done with the attack that launched Issei in the air. Shaping and forming it…until it became a ball.

The green magic from Twilight Healing shinned, and did as she commanded. It shaped itself into a small orb in the palm of her hands. She overlapped her hands and centered the ball. Using her magic, she shot the ball forward and barely hit the golem. The green magic enveloped the golem before it's body rebuilt itself.

"I-I did it!" Asia smiled with excitement.

Sensei put a hand on her shoulder. "Well done. To be honest I didn't think you'd make progress so early on. Keep this up, but it'll only get harder from here on out."

"Yes, sensei," Asia declared with determination.

**…**

Hiro sat outside a cafe with Hina, Ryusei, and the two girls he was with. He didn't expect to run into them in this time of day, but it was a good chance for them to catch up. Hiro still hadn't properly thanked Ryusei for saving Hina. For some reason, Hina seemed infatuated with Ryusei. Even as they were eating and drinking outside, she sipped her milkshake happily as she smiled and laughed with Ryusei.

"Hina-Chan," Ryusei said. "Are you sure you're feeling okay? Have you shown any signs of magic?"

"Well…I can't really say if I've noticed anything magical," Hina said. "But at this morning I noticed I was moving fast. Everything felt really slow…"

"It might be your body being enhanced," The girl with reddish white hair said. "You were infected with Vampire venom right? Your body may still be going through the process of vampirication. You're gonna notice a lot more soon."

"Don't scare her Lieutenant," The girl with long dark purple hair sighed. "You'll be fine Hina-Chan. If anything comes up, just call Captain."

"Captain?" Hiro raised an eyebrow.

"M-Me," Ryusei said with an annoyed look. "How many times must I tell you to not call me that anymore Reina? I'm not your Captain anymore remember?"

"Don't sweat the details Captain," Reina wrapped an arm around Ryusei. "Plus we're all friends here aren't we?"

"Who are you guys anyway?" Hiro asked, coming off a lot harsher than he wanted. "I-I mean, sorry…I didn't mean it to sound so mean."

"It's okay," The red haired girl said. "My name is Momo, the girl over there is Reina. We're from…"

"Hmm?" Hiro asked.

"They're from an organization I belonged to years ago," Ryusei smiled. "I was their leader for awhile and it seems like they still think so too."

"You're way nicer than Captain Kurogane," Reina sipped her drink. "I wish you would have told me you were leaving though Captain, I would have tagged along."

"Your world…" Hiro said. "Is pretty interesting, isn't it?"

Ryusei sighed and rested his cheek on his palm. "I'm not sure interesting is the right word, even though it's extremely accurate. Things are getting kind of rough out here Hiro. Are you sure you want to be involved?"

"We've made up our minds, Ryusei," Hiro said. "We're going to help you. The debt that I owe you will never be repaid enough…but this is a start."

"Hiro," Ryusei said. "I didn't save Hina because she was your sister. I didn't even know she was your sister. I did it because…Because I…"

"Because you're that type of person, senpai," Hina smiled. "I know the type of man you are. You'll save anybody whenever they need your help, regardless of how much it would trouble you. That's the type of man you are."

Hiro looked at Ryusei and could have sworn he blushed, before tossing his head to the side and avoided eye contact with Hina. Momo was frowning and looking at Ryusei with beady eyes while Reina tried to hide her laughter. Why did Hiro suddenly feel like he was the only person here who was unwanted?

"Oh by the way," Hiro said. "Have you seen Emi anywhere? I haven't seen her in awhile."

"Oh she's with a friend of ours," Ryusei said. "She wants to learn magic so they're off…somewhere. To be honest I have no idea where. The Fairies hide their home so no one besides members of the Court know where."

"F-Fairies!" Hina's eyes lit up. "There are really Fairies out there?"

"They're very beautiful and angelic, Hina-Chan," Momo broke her cold character and showed a bright and warm smile. "Maybe you'll meet them someday."

"Me too!" Hina cried with excitement and anticipation. It brought a smile to his face to see Hina so full of life again. When she came home, she seemed so distant and broken, but she casually returned to her old self.

"Hiro," Ryusei said. "I'm going to ask a friend of mine to stay with you for awhile. Until we figure things out, I don't think you two should be unprotected."

"W-Who?" Hiro asked.

"She's friendly, don't worry," He smiled.

"What's going on exactly, Ryusei?" Hiro asked. "I need you to explain to me everything."

Ryusei looked conflicted.

"You can tell us, senpai," Hina said. "We're your friends too, aren't we?"

"That's not why the Captain is hesitant, Hina-Chan," Momo said.

"He's just afraid of drawing you deeper into this messed up world of ours," Reina explained. "He just wants you to stay safe and in the dark so you won't be targeted."

"Don't treat us like kids, Ryusei," Hiro balled his fists. "Please…we just want to help you."

Ryusei took his arm off the table, and looked at Hiro in the eye. He then proceeded to unload a lot of information on Hiro and Hina. Ryusei and his group were being targeted by several groups all out for blood. Devils, exorcists, assassins. It was all incredibly hard to comprehend, but he began to understand slowly. On top of that, there was also something known as the Reaper headed towards Kuoh. Everyone was off training while Ryusei, Momo, and Reina had the task of talking to the different Shadow World clans around the city.

As Momo explained, the Shadow World was the term given to the supernatural community of creatures living in the shadows of humans. Creatures from myth and folklore like vampires, werewolves, fairies, etc. Hiro felt like he was being hit in the face with a brick with each load of information.

"I…I don't know what to say," Hiro gulped.

"This seems kind of dangerous, doesn't it?" Hina was beginning to shake.

"We don't know who will be after you so we're gonna ask our exorcist friends to stay with you." Ryusei said. "Irina is friendly so you guys will get along. Xenovia may be a bit cold and distant, but she means well."

"Are we going to be okay?" Hina asked, holding her hands.

"You'll be okay," Ryusei said instantly. "I give you my word Hina-Chan. I'll protect you both with my life."

Hiro fully knew that he meant that. He was the type of person who protected people. Hiro knew that he would actually give up his life to protect them. He balled his fists with frustration. Why did he feel so useless? He thought he could help, but what could he do in this situation? He was the one being protected…

"We'd better get going," Ryusei stood up and stretched. "We have a few more clans to visit today. You guys should get home and just rest. I'll tell Irina and Xenovia to come later."

"See you later Hiro-Kun, Hina-Chan," Momo smiled.

"See you soon," Reina waved before joining up with the other two.

Watching the three of them walking away, Hiro knew he was going to get used to this sight. Looking at the backs of these titans, always being in the back and being useless. He balled his fists out of frustration.

"N-Nii-San?"Hina asked. "What's wrong?"

Before he knew it, his eyes were welling up. "I hate this, Hina. Being protected, feeling so useless, I hate it so much."

Hina placed a hand on his. "I understand how you feel, Nii-San."

Hiro looked to his sister with confusion.

"I don't like this either," Hina said, her hand shaking. "Looking at them and being around them feels so overwhelming. It feels like we're among gods aren't we?" She giggled. "But whatever it is we can do, however little, we have to do it. It feels like…they're so far from humanity now. I can't believe someone so kind hearted and gentle can be so void of humanity. So we'll just have to that anchor that keeps him tethered to it, don't we?"

"Hina…" Was she always this wise? Has she really changed this much? It was like she was entirely new person. She seemed confident, despite her shaking, she was putting on a brave face and smiling. Was it because of Ryusei? Hiro never imagined someone could have such an affect on their lives…

**…**

Suzuki Satsuki stood in Lady Emi's room. It was empty and Lady Emi hadn't been home in a few hours. She was beginning to worry, but she knew that Lady Emi must have come across something important. Master Joshiro shouldn't be home until next week so it should be okay if she doesn't come home tonight.

Satsuki went ahead and cleaned her room, putting together the stacks of research and books into piles and pushed them back. As she was cleaning, Satsuki's sleeve pushed back to reveal her tattoos. How long had it been since she abandoned that life? Two…three years now? Even though she didn't miss the fighting and politics, she missed the people.

After cleaning, Satsuki sat on Lady Emi's bed and pushed back her bright pink hair. She wished she could have told Lady Emi the truth, the fact that she knew where Lady Airi had been and where she had gone. The fact that she herself had a hand in causing it, and the fact that she was a horrible excuse for a human being.

"I'm sorry…Lady Emi…"

"Sulking by yourself again I see."

Satsuki sighed. She recognized that voice, and this magic presence…

"Why are you here Rin?" Satsuki asked.

Standing in the corner of the room, shrouded in darkness as usual, was her younger sister. Suzuki Rin is currently the second strongest exorcist in the Holy Church and the second hand to the Paladin herself. Satsuki had already left the life behind, but it seems Rin is still a part of it.

Her sister was dressed in a typical exorcist's combat attire, with a white cloak covering her body. Her pink hair was cut short and she had a cocky smile on her face.

"Just came to check up on my darling older sister," Rin skipped across the room and stopped by Lady Emi's desk. "Is this the girl you've been serving?"

"Yes," Satsuki said with no shred of kindness in her voice.

"She's researching the Assassin's Order I see," Rin said. "That could be quite dangerous, don't you think?"

"I'll protect her," Satsuki said.

"I doubt that big sister," Rin said with a giggle. "How many years have you gone without picking up a sword? At your current state, I doubt you could even-"

Satsuki made her move in a fraction of a second. She vanished from her seated position and appeared behind Rin, holding a steak knife on her little sister's throat with a hand on Rin's wrist.

Rin was frozen in fear, her eyes wide and her arms trembling. "If you lay a hand on Lady Emi or any member of this household, I won't hesitate to kill you…little sister."

"As cold as always, huh?" Rin scoffed. "I come here with a warning, sister."

"From who?"

"From Lady Karisma," Rin said. "The Holy Church will act soon. Irina and Xenovia haven't reported back in over a day, despite having orders to do so every few hours. I was sent here to check up on them, however with the current state of affairs with the Devil King Lucifer and Azazel's sudden lack of activity, Lady Karsima has no choice but to take out the cause of this power struggle. Lady Karisma and the Knights will mobilize in three days time. I hope your Lady Emi isn't drawn into all of this, because even you would have a hard time fighting seven exorcists at once."

Was this true? If Karisma of all people was willing to mobilize, it could be a lot of trouble if they come to Kuoh.

Satsuki pulled back her knife and dropped Rin's wrist. "Leave. Your presence isn't welcome here."

"I've missed you too," Rin smiled. "I'll see you soon big sis."

Rin disappeared with a gust of wind, and left Satsuki panicking about what to do. What _should_ she do? Rin was one thing, but fighting Karisma and the other Knights would be a task she couldn't handle alone. Satsuki balled her fists in frustration. She didn't have a choice now…she had to ask Hyoudou Ryusei for help. There was no one else she could turn to.

Satsuki drew a paper from Lady Emi's desk and wrote a letter to Ryusei. She used magic to transform the paper into a bird shikigami. It wasn't as effective as an actual shikigami paper, but it'll do the trick. She opened the door and tossed it out, watching as it flew into the city.

"I hope you're safe, Lady Emi," Satsuki balled her fist.

**Author's Note - Next chapter I'll be introducing some Avatar the Last Airbender inspired characters. This chapter was kind of slow and focused more on side characters so I hope you guys aren't too upset. I hope you guys enjoyed it anyways and I'll see you soon :)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Guest - Thank you as always my friend :))**

**12**

The training room hidden in the Fairy Castle was easily as big as the entirety of the throne room. Emi felt like she was standing in the middle of an entire football field she had all to herself. The floor had real grass growing all about with numerous amounts of light illuminating the entire arena.

Emi felt nervous waiting for Celeste to arrive. She had a decent amount of sleep, though she woke up several times when her nightmares scared her. She saw visions of herself in battle and failing to hold up the standards she had set for herself. Dying in battle after devoting herself to training, it was something she feared.

She wore a loose white T-shirt with a sports bra and a pair of shorts. Her blonde hair was tied back into a puffy ponytail with the hair tie Airi had given her.

Emi wondered what Ryusei was doing right now. Was he training too? She immediately shook her head and grabbed hold of her face, feeling as the blood rushed to her cheeks. Why was she thinking of Ryusei of all people right now? What was wrong with her?

"Emi? Are you okay?" Celeste asked from behind her.

Emi stiffened and faced her new friend. "Y-Yeah! Just thinking that's all."

"What about?" Celeste crossed her arms.

Now that Emi was seeing her in her training gear, she realized just the kind of body that Celeste had. Physically she looked like a seventeen year old girl with long vibrant violet hair tied into pigtails. She had a bountiful bosom and a curvy body, however Emi knew that she was far older than she appeared. She wore a black tank top with a pair of white shorts but carried a brown briefcase with her with a weird engraving on the lid.

"J-Just about about training," Emi mustered. "What's in the briefcase?"

"Oh," Celeste smirked. "This is your new gear." She placed the briefcase on the ground and knelt down to open it. Inside was what looked like a belt with a blacked out hand on it with switches on either side. Above the belt buckle were four different jeweled rings, each seemed to emit a sort of pressure like Ryusei and the others. On the back of the lid were even more rings, 15 in total.

"W-What is this?" Emi gulped.

"Since you're fully human without any form of magic in your system," Celeste explained. "Your only option is to have magic implanted into you by using this buckle. It's connected directly to the Tree of Life, which gives us Fairies our magic. It'll sting when you first put it on, but afterwards you should be able to use these rings to cast spells."

Celeste pulled out the buckle and handed it to Emi. It was heavy, and radiating powerful magic. Emi felt nervous about doing this, but she knew she had to get stronger if she wanted to find Airi.

"What do I have to do?" Emi asked.

"Place the buckle on your waist," Celeste said.

Emi gulped and did as instructed. She placed the buckle on her waist and a belt suddenly wrapped itself around her waist. A wave of pain suddenly washed over her body. It felt like every inch of her body was being simultaneously stabbed over and over again. Emi fell to her knees and winced in pain, keeping herself from shouting by gritting her teeth and balling her fists so tightly they began to bleed.

"Hang in there EmI!" Celeste said. "It'll be over soon."

The pain went on for a few minutes until it finally subsided. Emi panted for air as the pain finally left her body, leaving everything sore and unmovable.

"I…Is it…Is it over?" Emi asked, her vision growing blurry.

Celeste knelt down and placed a hand on her back. "The magic has integrated into every muscle and organ in your body. You're fine now. Can you move?"

Despite it taking a tremendous amount of effort, Emi forced herself to stand up. Celeste smirked and met her, handing her a red ring. It was a shining ruby with a visor over it. It shined as Emi picked it up.

"My father collected these precious stones from all over the Shadow World," Celeste explained. "Using magic, he shaped them and formed them into magic rings. Each one of these rings can cast a different spell, however it's element will depend on the form you take." Celeste pulled out the other three rings above the buckle. "Fire, water, earth, and wind. The corresponding colored rings behind the lid will dictate which spells you can use whenever you're in a different form."

Emi gulped. "How do I use them?"

Celeste gave her an orange ring with a picture of a hand on it. "This is your Driver Ring. Your spell rings go on your right hand while your element rings go on your left. Put this on and place it over the buckle."

Emi hadn't noticed, but the buckle had flattened from a bulky belt buckle into a flat black hand with gold trimmings. She placed on the ring, and suddenly felt her vision clear and her energy restored. Was this simply from putting the ring on?

She placed the ring over the hand. **Driver On!** The hand transformed into a buckle that wrapped itself around her waist. She gulped as she could feel it's power. She felt so energized all of a sudden, like she could run miles without getting tired.

Celeste flipped the switches on the side as the hand rotated to the left. "Put on the ring and do the same thing."

Emi put on the flame ring, and it was like an entirely different feeling. She was nervous as she brought it over the hand. **Flame! Please!** A red magic circle opened underneath her as flames combusted. Slowly, it rose and enveloped her. This feeling…was something she couldn't explain in words. It felt like she was being woken up from a long dream. She could see clearer, hear better, like all of her senses were dialed to eleven.

"You look good," Celeste smirked.

Emi finally noticed what she was wearing. Instead of a shirt and shorts, she wore an untucked white button down with a red tie, a frilly black skirt with a white stripe on the end, and a long and magical black cloak with ruby gauntlets and red breastplates. The cloak came attached with a hood that covered her head. She couldn't see it, but she knew her eyes changed color as well. It was no longer brown but a bright shade of red.

"This is flame mode," Celeste explained. "In this state, you're immune to all forms of fire magic attacks and can even consumed flames as a way of restoring your strength and boosting your power. Want to test it?"

"Why not," Emi grinned. Was this confidence just because of the rings? She felt like she could do anything and nothing could stop her. This was a feeling she could definitely get used to, not to mention this outfit was pretty darn cute.

Celeste jumped back a few feet before holding out her hand. Several purple magic circles opened up and flames shot out, blasting at Emi. She closed her eyes as the approached her and even heard the explosion, however there was no pain. Opening her eyes, Emi was unharmed as flames surrounded her.

"What's going on?" Emi looked at her hands. "I don't feel any pain."

"Try sucking the air!" Celeste shouted.

Emi exhaled, before taking in a deep breath. To her shock, the flames began to suck into her body like some sort of vacuum. Eventually, all the flames disappeared after entering her body. Her stomach puffed and flattened, as if she had just eaten a large meal.

"That…tasted good," Emi said with wide eyes. "What the hell? I didn't know you could eat flames."

"These rings are endowed with a particular type of magic," Celeste walked over. "Ancient mages used this magic to slay dragons, by using the qualities of a dragon themselves. Dragon Slayer Magic, confined into Ring Magic. Congratulations Emi, you're a Dragon Slayer."

Emi blinked several times. She looked at her hands. She was wearing fingerless gloves underneath her ruby wrist guards. She felt powerful, invincible even. She balled her fists.

"I like this feeling," Emi smiled.

Celeste tossed her another ring. "This is one of the flame spell rings. Eventually you won't need them, but for now use these rings to conduct spells."

Spell rings go on the right hand. The Driver Ring had disappeared so she slipped on the ring. Following Celeste's moves, Emi flipped the switches as the hand rotated to the right. She placed the ring over the hand.

**Firestorm! Please! **

A circle of flames grew around her. It felt amazing. Despite all these flames, Emi felt no heat coming from them. She held out her hand as all the flames gathered into her hand as a red magic circle appeared. All the flames gathered the palm of her hand, as they all shot forward in a tornado of flames. The sheer recoil from the attack pushed Emi back, making her have to bend her knees and using her other hand to support her right.

Once the flames died down. "That was amazing…" Emi couldn't believe what she just did. Celeste walked over and smiled.

"C'mon, we'll try the other spells," She said. "Once you've used a spell, they'll be linked to the Driver so all you have to is think of the Spell Ring and it'll appear."

Emi nodded. "Let's do it."

**…**

Asia panted, exhausted and completely out of energy. She's been at this for hours, gaining more and more distance as she healed from afar. Although she was getting better at managing Twilight Healing added to her own magic, it was taking a lot out of her to even stand up let alone fire a compressed shot of Twilight Healing.

"Let's take a break for a bit," Kamiya-Sensei smiled and sat down by a tree. "You're tired too aren't you? You deserve a break."

Asia nodded and sat down next to her. She was definitely getting better at her long ranged healing, but at this rate it won't be usable in battle if it takes up this much energy. At her max, probably three compressed shots of the Twilight Healing is probably all she can handle about now.

"Hey Sensei?" Asia asked. "Can you tell me more about the dragon sealed in Ryusei's sword?"

"Trishula, huh?" Sensei leaned her head back. "Trishula is one of the last remaining Dragon Gods, particularly a Dragon God of the Ice Barrier."

"Ice…Barrier?" Asia asked.

"In ancient times," Sensei explained. "The Dragons of the Ice Barriers guarded and protected the people of the north. However there was one Dragon God who hated the humans and wanted to start a rebellion. Eventually, two other Dragon Gods teamed up with the humans in order to seal that Dragon God into an altar on a certain island. In order to keep watch over her, the two Dragon Gods sealed themselves into the island as well, in order to keep Trishula dormant."

"But then the seal was broken?" Asia asked.

Sensei nodded. "Four years ago, the island that the Dragon Gods were sealed in were attacked by an unknown group. The seals on all three Gods were broken, and their powers resealed into separate weapons. A sword, scythe and a chain scythe."

"And somehow Ryusei got his hands on the sword?" Asia asked.

"Not exactly," Sensei said. "Trishula was sealed into Ryujin-Ichimonji by two people belonging to the Assassin's Order, however the sword was passed down to Hyoudou Ryusei in the hopes of taming it's power. As for the other two…even I don't know what happened to them."

"Are they really that powerful?" Asia gulped.

"You can consider them on par with any Longinus Sacred Gear," Sensei explained. "While the Boosted Gear and Divine Dividing are two of the strongest Sacred Gears out there, but these three are on an entirely different level."

"What are they called exactly?" Asia asked. "Don't Sacred Gears have names?"

"I guess you're right," Sensei pondered on the thought for a bit. "I guess you can call Trishula…the Absolute Zero. As for the other two, I've heard several names. The most notable are Frozen Nemesis and Freezing Abyss."

"Absolute Zero…Frozen Nemesis…Freezing Abyss…" Asia gulped. They're all ice type Sacred Gears, yet after seeing what Absolute Zero can do, Asia could only imagine what the other two are like. If Absolute Zero could take over the user's body and encase them in frozen armor, what could the other two do? A scythe and a chain scythe…Asia was definitely curious as to what their capabilities were, but at the same time she was afraid to find out.

"Any other questions?" Sensei smirked.

"Who…Who are you, Sensei?" Asia asked. "You're helping us so much, and yet I'm not sure any one of us know who you are."

Sensei seemed conflicted. She crossed her arms and contemplated for a bit, until she finally opened her eyes. "Do you wanna hear a story, Asia?"

"A story?"

Sensei nodded. "A long time ago, when the world was at war, the Earth was plunged into an age of chaos and despair. The sky was painted red from the constant fires, the lands were a scorching inferno that no human could survive, and it rained the ashes of the defeated angels 24/7. Humanity was at it's lowest point. Drafted into a war they wished nothing to do with, fighting against one another simply because they were forced to by beings far superior to themselves."

"This sounds kind of…depressing, Sensei."

Kamiya-Sensei giggled. "It gets better don't worry. Eventually there rose a group of rebels, who prayed to any angel or god that would answer them. They prayed for countless days and nights, hours upon hours went by without sleep or food, until their prayers were answered. A wise and powerful angel took pity on these humans, and blessed them with protection and power. The man that led the prayers was deemed as the group's leader, and single-handedly led the rebels into a war with the other factions. They liberated a castle full of human slaves, and it eventually became their home country. Through the decades, this group of humans took on a different name, however their mandate remained the same. To maintain peace for all humans by eradicating the forces of evil within the Shadow World who would dare to harm the humans. They became known as, the Assassin's Order."

"The group that Ryusei was in?" Asia asked.

Sensei nodded. "Throughout all the thousand year guard that the Assassins kept over humanity, the angel who gave them power kept watch over them as well. Eventually, she met an assassin who was different than the others. He had a dream of uniting the human world and the Shadow World, for both worlds to live in peace together. It was a silly and fruitless dream, however the angel believed that that human of all people could achieve it. The angel vowed to protect him, but in the end all she could do was watch as he gave his life to protect another. In his dying moments, he entrusted his dream and vision to the very person he had sacrificed himself to save, and so the Angel decided to do the same. She forsook her position in the heavens and chose to remain as a human, albeit with an overwhelming amount of magic."

"Wait a minute, Sensei-"

"The angel bid her time until the person whom her love had entrusted his dream to finally came home, and she kept a vigilant watch over him in her lover's place," Sensei smiled. "She will continue to do so until one day, perhaps, he will achieve the dream that the angel and her love had once shared."

Could it be? Was Sensei actually an immortal angel? She definitely gave off a powerful and confident aura, but Asia had never even once imagined it possible she was an angel. An actual angel…Asia had always wanted to meet one. Even when she was a Nun, meeting a real life angel was always a dream she wanted to come true.

"That's enough of getting to know each other for now," Sensei stood up. "Let's get back to training, shall we?"

Asia stood up. "Y-Yes, you're right."

**…**

"T…This is the village?" Reina gulped as she looked past the trees.

It had taken Ryusei, Momo, and Reina nearly an hour to walk outside the city and another half an hour to find the actual village. It was located just west of the city and hidden in the trees. A magic barrier had been set up all around the village border to keep it from human sight. To anyone not with any magic in their system, all they would see was an expanse of trees. It was no wonder this village had been hidden for so long.

"Do we speak to the village elder?" Reina asked.

"It's the only way," Momo said, jumping down the cliff and landing on the ground.

Ryusei and Reina quickly followed, and soon enough they stood in front of the village gates. The entire village was guarded by a massive wooden wall with ancient runes carved onto each wood pillar. The gates were open with no guards, and Ryusei could see the people inside. They were dressed in simple garbs and lived traditional and old fashioned lives, it reminded Ryusei of the people from history books he had read in Masyaf.

"Do we just walk through?" Reina asked.

Ryusei held out his hand. At first, he was stopped by an invisible barrier, however as he pushed through, he was able to just walk right in. Momo and Reina followed him as they entered the village of elementals. He didn't quite understand what Leo had meant by people who could manipulate the elements, but now it was clear.

He first saw a small boy riding a slab of stone, gliding across the ground as simple and fast as a normal skateboard. He was being chased by a few other kids, probably just playing around.

There was a man making food simply by pushing out flames from his fist to heat up the furnace. There was a woman who pulled water from a nearby well simply by moving her hands and body. And the most amazing thing of all…

There were dozens and dozens of people flying around in the sky on gliders of some sort, and it wasn't simply floating or levitation, it was like they were using the wind itself to direct their path, making intricate and complicated patterns of flight.

"A village of elementals," Ryusei gulped. "So this is what he meant."

"This place is amazing," Reina was in awe. "Why haven't we ever heard of it?"

"It must be how Masyaf kept out from human knowledge for so long," Momo explained. "However time seems to have moved rather slowly within these walls. It feels like the early 18th century in here."

"You guys don't seem like you're from around here," A woman came up from their side. Ryusei turned to see a rather beautiful woman in her early twenties. She had long brown hair with braids on either side, and the rest of her hair was flowing behind her and down to her waist. Her emerald green eyes were matching Ryusei's, and her smile felt so warm. "May I help you? We don't usually get visitors in Kal El'Na."

"Kal El'Na?" Reina asked. "That's the village's name?"

The woman nodded. "My name is Persephone, the next head of this village. Is there anything I can help you with?"

"The village head?" Ryusei asked. "If that's the case, is there any way we can speak to the current head of the village? We have some matters we wish to discuss."

"My father?" Persephone asked. "He's currently out of the village right now. Perhaps I can speak to you in his place?"

Ryusei looked to Momo for guidance. Once she gave him the okay by nodding, he turned back to Persephone. "That should be okay."

Persephone smiled. "Please follow me, I'll show you to somewhere we can speak in private."

As Ryusei followed Persephone, he was truly amazed at how well this village was doing. Although there was barely any modern technology, everyone was surviving and even thriving. He sensed no magic coming from anybody here, however they were freely manipulating the elements without a care in the world. He even watched as a few people landed from the sky and folded their gliders back into long staffs.

"I suppose you're quite curious, aren't you?" Persephone asked, giggling to herself. "Most visitors who aren't accustom to our ways always wonder how we're able to do all of this without the use of magic."

"Y-Yeah," Ryusei smiled. "Sorry about that, I couldn't help myself."

"Please don't feel any hesitation to ask questions. I'd be more than happy to answer anything you may want to ask," Persephone said. "For starters, the people of our village are descendants of a long line of humans known as Elementals. We were gifted with the ability to manipulate the elements of water, earth, fire, and air. We used to live in the outside world believe or not, but eventually our ancestors decided it was too dangerous to let our existence be found out by regular humans. It could mean that many of us would be subjugated as weapons of war. So we hid ourselves for over a thousand years."

"That's just like us…" Ryusei said aloud. "But people still know about you, don't they?"

"Only the heads of certain Shadow World clans," Persephone explained. "Leonidas of a nearby werewolf clan is especially nice to us. He always comes by every few weeks to give us supplies or asks us if we need any help. It's people like him that make me wonder if we should ever show ourselves…"

Persephone is a kind and caring person, a genuinely nice person at heart. However she seemed to have steeled her resolve as the next head of this village. Ryusei couldn't help but admire her. She's taken her place as a leader so well.

She led them to an old hut in the center of the village. Walking through, the decoration was minimal at best, however it felt so comfy and cozy. There was a single table at the center with cushions on either side to sit on. The ceiling was empty, letting the sun shine on in.

Ryusei took a seat across from Persephone, with Reina and Momo behind him. He knew the type of person Persephone was, maybe she'll actually agree to help them out.

"So?" She asked. "What can I do for you?"

"We wanted…to ask for an alliance," Ryusei said. "My name is Hyoudou Ryusei, and I'm an ex member of the Assassin's Order as well as a former Captain of the Order's top execution squad, the _Vashta Nerada_. We wanted to ask for your cooperation in the future, seeing as there's a threat headed towards us that could mean trouble for both parties."

"The Assassin's Order…huh?" Persephone touched her chin. "I have heard many a stories of your numerous deeds to help humanity from the shadows. There are even stories of our village and your Order working together in ancient times."

"So, does that mean-" Reina asked with a happy face, however was cut off.

"I'm afraid that was long in the past," Persephone said with a stern face. "As of now, our numbers are nothing like they were back then. If a fight were to break out between us and the Three Major Factions, our demise is a sure told assurance."

"It will not come to such a fate," Ryusei said. "If a fight with the Three Factions does break out, I will assure you that your village will not be involved. We only ask that we have you cooperation when the time comes to deal with this threat, not with fighting the Factions."

Persephone began to think about the idea. He meant every word of it. While it was inevitable that a fight with the Devils will break out sooner or later, seeing as Issei and Asia are both Stray Devils from the Gremory Household, it was all but certain now. However if it did come to it, he wanted this village as far away from trouble as possible. He's seen how the people live here, so free of fear and worry. If danger were to come to them, he could never forgive himself.

"Have you spoken to Leonidas about this?" Persephone asked. "Did he agree to this as well?"

"Yes, we have," Momo said. "He has agreed to a truce and a peace and cooperation treaty. For the time being, he's the only one besides you we have spoken to. We hope we have your cooperation."

Persephone sighed. "Then I guess that means we have an agreement."

Ryusei's eyes shot open. Was it that easy?

"R-Really?" Reina smiled. "You'll work with us?"

Ryusei then proceeded to explain to Persephone the current situation they were dealing. They had less than three weeks until the Reaper arrives in Japan, and it's something that neither of them cold face alone. Neither Celeste nor Kamiya-Sensei knew anything about it, and that lack of information from those two of all people made it even more dangerous.

"I see," Persephone frowned. "That could prove to be quite troublesome."

"Less than three weeks," Ryusei said. "Our friends are all of training and growing, while we're here trying to expand our numbers and make allies anywhere we can. I know this is a lot and incredibly selfish…"

Persephone giggled. "Please, it's no worry. In the place of Dante Lockwell, I Persephone Lockwell as next head of the village of Kal El'Na, hereby agree to your terms and will cooperate with you. Here's hoping to a long lasting partnership, Hyoudou Ryusei-Kun."

Ryusei extended his hand and returned her handshake.

Just then, the curtains parted as people stepped in.

"Sis, we're home!"

Ryusei turned around to see two people. The one who spoke was a boy about a year or two younger than Ryusei with spiky brown hair and green eyes. The person with him was a man in his early thirties with long brown hair with strands of white, tied back into a ponytail with dark eyes. The man raised an eyebrow as he saw Ryusei's face.

"I know that face," The man said walking forward. "I never forget a face!"

"Dad! Virgil!" Persephone got up and bowed. "Welcome home. How was the hunt?"

The man placed a hand on the boy, Virgil's, head and smiled. "Virgil's gotten a lot better at manipulating the elements. He'll make a fine Elemental King one day."

"E-Elemental King?" Ryusei asked.

"Pardon my rudeness, Ryusei-Kun," Persephone cleared her throat. "Allow me to introduce you to the current village head, Dante Lockwell. And this is my younger brother, Virgil."

"H-Hey there," Virgil smiled.

"Welcome to Kal El'Na, assassins," Dante smirked. "It's rare to see you folks in these neck of the woods."

Once Dante and Virgil joined Persephone, she explained to them the situation and agreement they had just talked about.

"So he's finally making his move…huh?" Dante rubbed his chin. Why did Ryusei get the feeling he knew more about this than any one of them? "Have your Mentor and other Captains been informed of the situation?"

Ryusei stiffened. "W-Well you see…I'm not exactly a part of the Order anymore. And these two are just my observers. I don't think we can depend on the Order for help here. If anything I think they'll just want me dead."

Dante bursted out laughing and holding his stomach. "You actually went and pissed off the Assassins? You are a riot kid!"

"D-Dad, c'mon," Persephone blushed in embarrassment.

"Right right, sorry about that," Dante cleared his throat. "Well if Leo has already joined you, I don't see any reason we shouldn't. However I would like to keep the normal citizens of this village safe. Our troops will be notified, of course, but I wish to keep the people of my village safe and sound."

Ryusei blushed with admiration. This outgoing personality, this wish to protect his comrades, he was the spitting image of Merrick. What the hell was going on? He was having visions of the past again.

"But to think, the day I'd work with the execution squad would come so early," Dante smirked. "And to think _you're_ the person I'm working with, not to mention you've got two beautiful ladies with you. My how you've grown."

"Y-You've met me before?" Ryusei asked.

"Just once, when I was visiting Masyaf a few years back," Dante crossed his arms. "You were just a kid, barely knew how to hold a sword or even use basic stealth techniques. And now you're going about performing diplomatic duties, I'm impressed."

Ryusei blushed.

Momo squeezed his cheeks so hard he thought she'd tear them right off. "W-What! That hurts ya'know!"

"Captain, I didn't think you played for the other team," Reina played with her fingers.

"What the hell are you talking about!" Ryusei growled.

Dante and Persephone laughed. Dante wiped his tears of joy away before facing Ryusei. "You'd better get back to the city, Ryusei. You have quite the adventure ahead of you."

"R-Right," Ryusei stood up with Momo and Reina. "Thank you for speaking to us today. It means quite a lot."

Leaving the village, Ryusei was still awestruck of how amazing this place was. He wished he had more time to figure out how they were able to perform these works of miracles, but Dante was right. They had a lot more to do tomorrow.

"Big bro!" A boy's voice called out after they left the gates. Ryusei turned to see Virgil standing with Dante and Persephone. "Come back soon okay?! I wanna fight you!"

Ryusei smiled before giving a peace sign and leaving towards the city.

**…**

Eiji stood in the office of the Order's Mentor. Jessica and Henry stood behind him as he faced the head of the entire Assassin's Order. It was a circular office, much like the Oval Office, except more rustic and contemporary. The walls were made of stone stacked on top of each other. A window was behind the desk where the Mentor sat, with a flag of the Order's insignia on it. Twin bookshelves along the walls and a couch and table in the center. The room was perfectly symmetrical, much to the Mentor's tastes.

"So in response to Ryusei's awakening of Trishula's power, you decided to leave Momo Morgenstern and Reina Trueblood as his observers," The Mentor said. "While it wouldn't have been the decision I would have made, I can't argue with your choices Captain Kurogane."

"Thank you, Mentor," Eiji bowed. "But what should we do now?"

Eiji looked as the Mentor placed the papers down on his desk. A man in his late forties with long crimson hair with strands of white tied back into a long ponytail. Despite his age, he showed no signs of wrinkles or aging. He looked like he was in his twenties for crying out loud. He wore a long robe of the Assassin's Mentor with a sash of red and crimson, the colors of the Mentor. His piercing red eyes were incredibly strong. This was the Assassin Order's Mentor, Izil Morgenstern.

"What should we do indeed," Mentor sighed. "This situation has proved to be rather troublesome and exhausting. If I knew Ryusei was going to be this resilient, I would have just left him well enough alone. Perhaps sending you to kill him turned to bite me in the ass, huh?"

"You made the right decision, Mentor," Eiji said. "However I hate to say that it was my blunder that forced Sei-Chan to draw the sword. And because of it, the Exorcists may well make a move."

"It might be too late for that," Mentor said. "I've gotten word from the stealth force that Paladin and her Knights will make a move soon. They'll mobilize to Kuoh and hunt down Ryusei and his friends."

Eiji's eyes shot open. "W-What?"

"Eiji, I leave this decision entirely to you," Mentor said. "I'm leaving this not to Captain Kurogane of the execution squad, but the former comrade of Hyoudou Ryusei. What will you do?"

Eiji balled his fist. Was this worth it? If he agreed to go help Sei-Chan, it would mean that he'd be putting more lives in jeopardy. He didn't want any more of his friends to die, but if he didn't send his forces to help, then Sei-Chan will surely die. Dammit…

A hand squeezed Eiji's shoulder. It was Henry. He smiled and nodded. "You know you want to help him, don't you? Don't worry about us, Captain."

"We've told you that we'll follow you through hell, didn't we?" Jessica crossed her arms. "If not, we wouldn't have joined the execution squad in the first place."

Eiji balled his fist in frustration. Why was he such a coward now of all times?

"I guess we have our decision," Mentor smirked. "I leave everything to you, Eiji. Mobilize our forces as you wish."

Eiji placed a hand over his hand. "Sir."

The three of them exited the office and stood outside. Eiji sighed and leaned his head back. "Goddammit, this is so much work."

Jessica giggled. "What shall we do now, Captain?"

"Henry, gather the squad," Eiji sighed. "Jessica, can you go speak to Captain Hatsume? Ask her if she can come to speak to me as soon as possible."

"Sir," They both saluted before disappearing.

"My, my," A familiar voice said. "What a little predicament we have here, don't we Captain?"

Eiji looked up to see the Captain of the Castle Guard, Hanamiya Ikki. His short white hair was just over his eyes and his stupid cocky grin made Eiji want to punch him in the face. He wore the usual Captain's haori with his own weapon strapped on his back.

"What do you want Hanamiya?" Eiji asked.

"I just wanted to know what you'll do, Captain," Ikki smirked. "Will you send more of our people in to die? Or will you just go yourself? I wonder…"

"I don't have time for this," Eiji turned and walked away.

"You know," Ikki said. "There are two more Dragon Gods just like Trishula out there. I wonder where they are."

Eiji walked away without continuing the conversation, but that sentence struck a chord with him. What the hell did he mean? Was the Holy Church making a move just because of Sei-Chan? Or was their true objective Trishula…None of this was making any sense, but he knew he had to find out.

**Author's Note - Next chapter will be the prelude to a fight between Ryusei's group, the assassins, and the exorcists. No idea how I'm going to make it work but I'll make it work. I'm also setting up some elements I'll get to in later chapters so if you guys have any suggestions on how to use certain elements or characters, PM me and lmk. Anyways, I hope you guys liked this chapter and I'll see you soon :)**


	13. Chapter 13

**Yoga - Issei trained in the forest outside Kuoh with Irina and Xenovia until they had to go look after Hiro and Hina. It was mostly him and Ddraig. **

**13**

Ryusei leaned against a pillar in the loft and looking through the window overlooking Kuoh. It was already late in the evening and they had managed to get the majority of the Shadow World clans in Kuoh on their side. With Leo and the wolves at their back, the catalyst sparked a city wide alliance.

Still, even with this many supporters and allies, a looming feeling of fear resided in Ryusei's heart. Somehow, he doubted that this was all going to end smoothly. The Devils have yet to make a move for him, not to mention the Angels and Fallen Angels have been dead silent this entire time. They had to be up to something, but he couldn't figure out what without enough information.

It also doesn't help that the majority of the team was off training. It had been close to three days since everyone went off on their own. Emi was with Celeste in the Fairy Court, Asia was with Kamiya-Sensei in god knows where, and Issei was a complete unknown. Irina was with Hiro and Hina overseeing them, but that left Xenovia the only remaining unknown factor. He knew almost nothing to the exorcist and yet she went along with everything too easily. There had to be something up…

"Don't hurt yourself," Momo walked up from behind and handed him a cup of hot chocolate. "You were never the one to strategize remember?"

"I take offense to that statement," Ryusei scoffed. "I can be smart when I want to."

"Please, if it wasn't for me or Eiji, you'd be dead a dozen times over," Momo giggled. "Are you worried? About Xenovia?"

"You too huh?" Ryusei sipped his drink. "Irina I trust with my life, in fact most of everybody here I trust, but Xenovia is a completely foreign factor. We know almost nothing about her and yet she knows a lot about our operation."

"That's true," Momo said. "I'll keep an eye on her if you want, make sure she's not up to something."

As much as he hated doubting someone on his team, he had no choice. If information about what they were up to leaked out, it'd make things a hell of a lot more difficult than it had to be. "Make it subtle."

"My specialty," Momo winked.

Ryusei smirked. "Do you remember when I first came to Masyaf? I could barely hold a sword correctly."

"And Merrick handed you off to Eiji to train? Yeah I remember," She smiled. "Sometimes I miss those times…"

"Momo, you know it wasn't my intention to hurt you, right?" Ryusei asked. "I'll take responsibility for what I did…It was my fault that everyone died, but I didn't want to hurt you, or anyone."

"I know," Momo closed her eyes. "You're just not the type of man who would intentionally hurt the people you care about. I know that better than anyone."

Momo had really been the first friend he ever made in Masyaf. Alicia and Merrick were already important figures who had their duties and responsibilities, so mainly it was Momo who showed him the ropes and taught him everything he had to learn. He quickly advanced through the ranks and surpassed her, but he always held a soft spot for his first friend.

"Uh…" Reina's voice cut in. "We may have a problem, Captain."

Ryusei turned around to see Reina out of bed, wearing nothing but a partially buttoned dress shirt and holding a letter that looked folded many times. She had a worried…almost frightened look.

"What is it?" He asked.

_"The Paladin marches to Kuoh with the Noble Knights." _Reina read aloud.

"T-The Paladin?" Momo asked, panicked. "Why would she make a move now?"

"It must be because Irina and Xenovia haven't reported in since we made them falsely report that time," Ryusei clicked his tongue. "Dammit, it's my fault. I made them-"

"Stop blaming yourself!" Momo shouted. "Not everything's your fault Ryu…"

"M-Momo…" Ryusei gulped. That was the first time she really raised her voice at him in a long time, when they weren't fighting anyway.

"What do we do?" Reina asked. "We won't be able to fight off the Paladin with the three of us. The Knights, maybe, but not _her_."

"Who is the letter from?" Ryusei asked.

Reina shook her head. "It wasn't signed, but there is something…"

She handed the letter to Ryusei, and he immediately recognized the faint magic pressure coming from the letter. It couldn't be…

"A-Airi?" Ryusei gulped.

Reina nodded. "I felt the magic pressure from the paper, but I couldn't recognize it. I figured you might. This letter was meant for you."

"Can we trust it though?" Momo asked. "What if it's a ploy from the Devils? It could be a trap to get us scrambling."

"No," Ryusei clutched the letter. "It's real. There's no faking a magic pressure, it's really Airi's magic pressure. B-But…"

"Captain?" Reina asked.

"Airi died on Lian-Yu," Ryusei gulped. "There's no way it could be her, and yet I'd recognize this magic pressure anywhere. I don't know who this is from, but if they have Airi's magic pressure, we can at least trust that this is true."

"A-Are you sure?" Momo asked. "We can't go into this half-assed-"

"They sent this to us knowing that I'd recognize the magic pressure," Ryusei explained. "It's basically telling us that they can be trusted, at least with this one piece of information. We don't have the luxury to not take this seriously, if it's true…we're going to be in for the fight of our lives."

The tension in the room was intense and ripe. It was starting…he knew it would come eventually but this was all too soon. Dammit…what was he going to do? Ryusei had been in desperate situations before, where not only his own life but the life of his comrades were at stake. But this was different…they were being caught up in a five way conflict…how was he going to get everyone out of this alive? Is that even possible? His mind was going blank.

"Snap out of it!" Momo clapped her hands in front of his face, snapping him awake by force. "Take this one step at a time. What should our first move be?"

Ryusei shook himself into reality. "R-Right. First move should be to notify everyone out training. Send the shishigami, alert everyone."

"W-What about Asia and Kamiya?" Reina asked.

What had Celeste called her back then? An Angel? "Leave that to me. Send a shishigami to Celeste and Issei. They have to return immediately, we don't have anytime to waste."

"But why did it take so long for this letter to reach us?" Reina asked.

"Worry about that later," Momo said. "We have to go."

Ryusei sighed. He had no idea if this was going to work, but if Kamiya-Sensei really was an angel, there was only one way he knew how to contact an Angel.

He dropped to his knees and clasped his hands together and closed his eyes.

"Sensei, if you can hear me…we have a sort of emergency," Ryusei said. "We really need your help. Please…"

Ryusei waited a few minutes on his knees, but nothing happened. Could she not hear him? Was she really an angel? He felt like an idiot praying but it was the only known way he knew of to call an angel.

He got up and walked over to the table with weapons laying all over. Laying on the table next to his nodachi was the journal that started it all. Only about 10% of the names in Merrick's journal had been crossed out. Ever since this whole mess started, he hadn't even had the chance to go hunting.

He remembered the night that Merrick had showed him this journal. It was the names of all the leaders of Shadow World clans all over the world who were running the world into the ground. The Shadow World underground ran the world, and organizations like the Holy Church and the Assassin's Order were so corrupt with politics and power that they let everything run by. The whole reason he started this crusade was to preserve his mentor's legacy…but was he even doing that anymore?

"Oh my, is this the journal I've been hearing about?"

Ryusei jumped out his seat and grabbed his nodachi. How the hell…How the hell did this woman sneak into the loft? He hadn't sensed her presence at all, not a single shred of her magic pressure was detected by him until just now.

A beautiful young woman in her twenties with long blonde hair and the most dazzling blue eyes he had ever seen. The definition of beauty itself stood before him wearing a flowing white dress and a smile on her face.

"W-Who are you?" Ryusei gulped. What was this feeling in his chest? He felt so calm and at peace that he could barely get a grip on his nodachi…

"Me?" She pointed to herself. "You can just call me Gabriel. It's nice to meet you, Hyoudou Ryusei-Kun."

"You know me?" Ryusei gulped.

"Of course I do," She clapped her hands together and smiled. "You're the youngest person to ever take up the rank of Captain in the Assassin's Order right? The assassin who left the order and is now in the crossroads of a five way war?"

This woman…

"Step away," Kamiya-Sensei appeared before him, placing a hand out and holding him back. Asia stepped up and stood tall. He was caught off guard, seeing Asia so confident. Was this really her?

"Oh my," Gabriel said. "It has indeed been a long time hasn't it, Haniel?"

Haniel? Where had he heard that name before?

"Ryusei-Kun," Asia said without facing him. "This time, I'll protect you."

His eyes were as wide as saucers. "A-Asia…"

"Leave, Gabriel," Sensei said. "Things are getting complicated, I don't want the Angels to get involved just yet."

Gabriel pouted and caressed her cheek. "You're always such a bore Haniel. I just wanted to say hello to the Absolute Zero."

"Don't make me repeat myself, sister."

What was this? He knew that Sensei was never one to be messed up, but she was giving off an incredibly powerful blood lust. He felt like his heart was going to be crushed by the weight of her pressure.

Gabriel sighed. "Very well. I hope to see you soon." She waved as she vanished without a trace.

Ryusei fell to his knees as the weight on his chest was set free. He panted and sweat. How long has it been since he felt like this? This overwhelming fear of death looming over him. He had been in this situation before, but never in this capacity.

"Ryusei," Sensei said. "Sorry I'm late. I shouldn't have put you in that position. I apologize."

"N-No," Ryusei mustered his strength and stood up. "I'm glad you came, Sensei. The Paladin-"

"Is on her way, I know," She sighed and turned around. "The Noble Knights are powerful, Ryusei. It'll take everything we have to withstand them."

"What should we do?" He balled his fist. "I…I don't know what to do…Please sensei…"

"Ryusei-Kun…" Asia said.

Sensei walked over and placed a hand on his head. "Well look at that? You've finally learned to not do things on your own, haven't you? I was hoping that sending you around the city to make friends would help, but it seems you've found the answer on your own. I'm proud of you, Ryusei."

"Sensei…" Ryusei bit his lower lip. "I thought that I could do everything on my own, I didn't want to drag anyone into this world. I just wanted everyone to live a free life without fearing of what was in the shadows."

"You shouldn't think like that, Ryusei-Kun," Asia took his hand. "We're all here to help you, whether you want us to or not, because we're family."

Sensei crossed her arms and laughed. "Leave it to me, my student. I'll round everyone up, you two stay here and wait. I'll be back in a bit."

With that, she disappeared. Ryusei looked to Asia, she looked physically the same enough. Small and petite, long blonde hair and kind green eyes, and yet why was she overflowing with such confidence? It had only been a few days, but had she really grown this much?

"W-What is it, Ryusei-Kun?" Asia tilted her head. "You're scaring me."

"It's nothing," He smiled. "I'm just…really happy to have you as my older sister."

Asia blushed and smiled. "I'll always be here for you, Ryusei-Kun. I'll make sure you never have to walk this path alone."

He wondered…if someone like Asia had been with him in Masyaf, would he have taken a different path? If someone like her was there when he lost control in Masyaf, would he have stayed and never went home? He never realized how much of an impact she had had on him. The first person he met since he came home that wasn't blood, and yet treated him like family without hesitation.

His body moved on his own and wrapped his arms around her.

"R-Ryusei-Kun?" Asia asked, spooked and startled.

"Thank you so much, Asia," He squeezed. "Thank you so much."

Asia returned his hug. "You don't have to thank me, little brother."

From behind him, he heard someone cough. "Well, are we interrupting anything?"

Ryusei suddenly got a chill down his spine as Momo's voice set waves of fear through him. Turning around, he saw that everyone had convened in mere minutes. Issei, Emi, Celeste, Irina, Xenovia, Momo, and Reina. Momo had her arms crossed and her eyes a distinct flavor of annoyed and frustration.

"Y-You're back," He pushed himself away from Asia and scratched his head. "That was fast."

"What's happening?" Emi asked. "Sensei said it was urgent for us to come back."

"The Paladin…" Irina said. "She's on her way isn't she?"

"You knew?" Ryusei asked.

Irina looked flustered. "W-We knew that they'd mobilize soon, but I didn't know it would be so soon. We should have told you, I'm sorry."

"No, this is good," Sensei stepped forward and crossed her arms. "They don't know that we know they're coming, which gives us somewhat of an advantage."

"How could this possibly be an advantage?" Issei asked.

"Because it gives us time to counter," Ryusei crossed his arms and smirked. "Now we can strategize and come up with some sort of plan for a retaliation."

"As expected of a Captain," Sensei cracked her neck and clapped her hands. "Form up people. It's time for war."

"Sensei," Irina stepped forward. "Xenovia and I have to back. If they found us here, it could be bad."

Kamiya-Sensei crossed her arms. "Indeed. Meet up with the Paladin and her knights. If you can, try to avoid fighting at any chance. Tell them that everything, hopefully they'll believe us and turn back. But I may just be hoping for too much."

"It comes down to a fight after all," Issei sighed.

"We'll do everything we can," Xenovia stepped forward. "The rest is in your hands, Hyoudou Ryusei. The next time we meet, it'll most likely be on the battlefield."

**…**

Hiro sat in his bed, looking through old pictures of he and his family a long time ago. He remembered a time when everything was so peaceful and normal. When the world he knew didn't involve werewolves or vampires or secret assassin organizations killing people for the good of the world. He remembered a time when his beloved little sister didn't have magic and wasn't kidnapped by a vampire and used as food. He remembered a time before meeting Ryusei…and everything changed.

It had only been three days since Hina was cured of her vampire venom, but she was still exhibiting vampire traits. Kamiya-Sensei had given an entire encyclopedia on the _Shadow World_ as they called it. It had every known Shadow World denizen from vampires and werewolves to fairies and djinn. Everything he had ever read or heard stories about as a kid, thinking they were nothing but fiction, was all perfectly noted and researched in that book.

According to the Shadow World Codex, humans infected with vampire venom will turn into a vampire within a week. Their bodies will slowly begin to die, their organs and flesh will transform and rot, and once the body is fully dead, they'll be resurrected as a creature of the night due to the venom's effects. However since Hina had all the venom removed, all that was left was the magic from the person who bit her.

It was that one little fact that gave him the most worry. He hadn't told Ryusei or anyone, but he had been doing a lot of research on the side and tried to obtain as much knowledge as he could about the Shadow World.

Magic is quite the difficult subject to learn. While it could grant wishes and do miracles, it couldn't bring back the dead, at least not fully. It was every flowing and took the shape of whatever the user wishes, whether it takes the form of a miracle or destruction.

However in every source he's cited through, they all say that the owner of that magic can control it no matter the distance. If it's in Hina still, then he feared that whoever put his magic in her may very well still have a tight grip on her.

Hiro closed the photo book and sat up. Was he just thinking too much into this? Ryusei had warned him that this world was dangerous and full of mysteries, so he had to be prepared for anything. But the thought of his little sister turning on him, maybe even trying to kill him? He didn't know if he could handle that.

A knock came on his door. "Brother? May I come in?"

"Yeah," Hiro quickly stuffed the book underneath his pillow as Hina walked in.

She was still in her pajamas despite it being almost 6 in the afternoon. Her dark blue hair was messy and frizzy and she yawned.

"Irina-Senpai left. She said that it was an urgent call from Ryusei-Senpai," Hina said groggy and tired. "I hope everything's okay."

"Me too," Hiro sighed. "I feel useless being cooped up in here all the time."

"There's nothing either of us can do is there?" Hina asked. "We'd only get in the way if we try to help."

Hiro clutched his fist. Dammit he felt so useless. Nothing he could do to help the person who saved his sister, and what's worse is that there was nothing he could for Hina either.

"I'm sorry, brother," Hina said, hiding her face. "It's all my fault isn't it? If I had just gone home that day instead of staying behind at school, I would never have gotten kidnapped. I wouldn't…have…"

"Hina?" Hiro asked. "Are you okay? What's the matter?" He got out of bed and walked towards her.

She stepped back. "I'm okay." She looked up, however she was different. Not only the way she spoke, but her body language was all wrong. She was so limp and lifeless…her eyes were void of their color and emotion. Was this really Hina?

"I'm going to step out for a bit to get some air," Hina said, turning around and going for the door.

"W-Wait a minute," Hiro grabbed her hand. "Are you sure you should be going out? What if it-"

"I can take care of myself, brother," She said in a harsh yet emotionless tone. "After all, you're only human. You can't protect me, can you?"

That felt like a knife into his heart. He let go of her hand as Hina exited his room without so much as a glance. Hiro felt his hand shake. Was it coming true? His fear of someone controlling Hina? He gulped, panicking as his mind went blank.

"Oh my," A voice said from behind him. "Quite the pickle, haven't we?"

He spun around and landed on his butt, as he looked at the girl sitting on his window frame. She was around his age maybe, with long blonde hair and the most mysterious gray eyes he had ever seen. She wore a simply white T-shirt with blue ripped jeans and a pair of boots. There was something about her eyes that almost felt…wild and animal-like.

"W-Who are you?" He managed to ask.

"Name's Luka," She smirked. "I'm a friend that Ryusei asked to keep an eye on you since the exorcist had other business. It seems like someone's really controlling your sister. Must be that blood sucker who bit her."

He gulped. "So it's true then…"

"I picked up a weird scent all of a sudden, that replaced her scent entirely," Luka informed him. "She's headed towards Eastern Kuoh, to the vampire den. Probably headed towards the bastard who bit her."

Hiro's mind went blank. What should he do? What could he do? He's just a normal human in a world full of magic and monsters. What could he possibly do to help?

"What will you do?" Luka asked, snapping him out of it. "I was assigned to look over you, which means whatever you decide to do, I'll go along with it. If you want to stay here and cower in fear and misery, go right ahead. But if you have the guts to go and get her, regardless of what you are, I'll go along with you."

It was…up to him? This was it, the moment that he had always feared. His sister…Hina. They had always been together. He remembered when they were younger and how he would always protect her. But the moment that Hina needed him most, he wasn't there for her. If it wasn't for Ryusei, she'd probably be long dead by now. If it wasn't for Ryusei…

He wanted to be stronger. He wanted to grow and evolve, to be someone who could stand by Ryusei and the others, not just cower in the shadows as those titans fought in the light. Hiro balled his fists in frustration. He was so pathetic.

"I…I want to help Hina," Hiro said. "Please…help me!"

Luka smirked and jumped out from the window frame and stood in front of him. Seeing her this close up, she was actually pretty cute. Her golden hair was braided over her shoulder. Her skin was tanned yet still glowed off of the light. Her gray eyes that had once been mysterious, were suddenly filled with emotion. She donned a smile and crossed her arms.

"Stand up then, Nagase Hiro," She said. "Let's go save your sister."

**…**

Irina and Xenovia found the Paladin and her Noble Knights marching towards Kuoh a few miles from the city. Even with their cloaks which were meant to conceal their magic pressure, even Irina could tell where they were.

The two of them stopped in front of the Paladin. Truth be told, Irina was completely terrified. She didn't want to fight Ryu and the others, but at the moment she didn't want to fight the Paladin either. She knew that if she did, she'd probably die without even knowing how she died. The legends of Karisma Gray echoed far and wide. The wielder of a legendary heavenly sword that was said to be the weapon of the Archangel Micheal himself from ages ago.

"You two have some explaining to do," Suzuki Rin stepped forward and removed her hood. Her pink hair was short and messy, with a single tail running down her back. Her pink eyes were beautiful, and yet they were filled with anger.

"Hyoudou Ryusei is not a threat," Irina stepped forward. "You're making a mistake."

"Then why haven't either of you reported in?" Rin asked. "You had orders from Lady Karisma to report in every few hours, and yet three days later not a single report."

"We were caught up in an incident," Xenovia explained. "The Dragon Slayer was attacked by the Assassin's Order and forced to draw the Ryujin-Ichimonji. Everyone had to work together to free him from his rage."

"So what you're saying," Another figure in a veil stepped forward. Removing their hood, the figure revealed itself to be a boy. He looked a lot younger than Irina, maybe around 13? He had spiky orange hair and matching chest nut eyes. "is that the Dragon Slayer lost control and rampaged through the city. Says here that several city blocks were destroyed and caused a commotion with the Gremory Household. Are you saying that we shouldn't take that as a sign that he could be a threat to us?"

"W-Well…It wasn't-" Irina said.

"Are you going to say it wasn't his fault?" Rin asked. "The fact that he's a wanted fugitive from several organizations means that he cannot be trusted. You've let your personal feelings get in the way, Shidou Irina."

"Everybody calm down," Karisma Gray sighed and removed her hood. "Rin, Hotaru, stand down." Karisma walked forward and faced Irina and Xenovia. "I know how you feel Irina. It must be hard to see your childhood friend again and have him be in this situation. Believe me I sympathize with you, but we're not here to negotiate. We have orders from High Chancellor Valoria and High Priestess Alice to eliminate Hyoudou Ryusei."

Irina felt like a knife had been driven into her heart.

"High Priestess Alice has had a vision," Karisma said. "The world completely frozen over…and three Dragon Gods reigning supreme. Don't you understand Irina? Priestess Alice has never been wrong about her visions before. We have to end this now. Will you help us? Or will you stand in our way."

Irina began to tremble. What can she do? She couldn't stand up to the Paladin and her knights, but she didn't want to fight Ryu and the others.

Xenovia placed a hand on her shoulder. "As you wish, Lady Karisma. We will follow you."

Karisma nodded and put her hood back on. The seven of them walked past them and left the two in silence.

"Xenovia…why?" Irina asked.

"The moment will come, Irina," Xenovia said. "You'll have to make a choice soon, about what you want to do. Whatever you decide, I'll stand by you regardless."


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's Note - It's been awhile, yeah I know. I've been getting ready to go back to school and a part time job has been killing my creativity. Hopefully I'll be able to upload more frequently. I had to read the entire story from the start to get an idea of where I left off so I hope you guys don't hate me too much. I hope this makes up for my long hiatus, hopefully, and I'll see you guys soon…hopefully :)**

**14**

Darkness. A pitch black eternal darkness that loomed over her like a cloud. She felt lifeless in her own body, not that she knew what her body was like. Everything felt numb, not able to move a finger. Just how long had she been here? Just how long had this darkness enveloped every second of the time?

She couldn't remember anything before waking up in here. Occasionally there were times were the light passed through this darkness, but it was only for a brief second. She had no idea where she was or what she was doing here, truth be told she didn't even know if _she_ was a she in the first place.

Everyday she would try her best, try her absolute best to remember who she was. It was an incredibly painful experience to not remember anything about herself. Her name, her family, her friends, her past. It was all a complete blank. Not a single thing ever came back to her in the days she had spent here, or months, or even years. She didn't even know anymore.

Finally, the light returned. In the abyss of darkness, a single spot of light shined. Just like last time, the voices returned. Every time the light returned, there were two pairs of voices that accompanied it. She didn't know who they were or where they were, but the things they said were rather terrifying.

"How is the subject doing today?"

"Some slight change in her temperature, it's a lot lower than yesterday."

"We have to hurry, Brionac is of the up most importance. We have to draw it out."

Brionac. The same name kept popping up in their conversations. She didn't know who or what it was, but they kept talking about it every time. From what she's gathered, it's something that they want and they think that it's inside her. She figured that they had put something in her body that negated the pain from their experiments, since they'd start it up and she couldn't feel a thing.

"It seems things are getting intense in Kuoh, Sirzechs."

"The Holy Church against a rogue Assassin and his band of misfits. I wonder how thins will turn out."

"You're not going to intervene?"

"I've left Rias with instructions on what to do in case she needs to act. As for us, we have something more important to deal with here."

Kuoh, Holy Church…and Sirzechs. Names like that popped up every now and then, not that it mattered since she had no idea what they were talking about. It sounded important however, since she's put together that a fight or conflict must have broken out. But was this really more important? What could this Brionac thing be that they'd ignore everything else just to get it?

"Begin extraction. Let's hope we have better luck today."

Then it began. She felt her body begin to tingle, but that was the extent of that. Whatever this extraction was, she couldn't feel a thing besides her body tingling.

**"It's not long now, child. Hang in there." **

W-What? What was that voice? She had been in here for so long that she didn't know if that just her mind playing tricks on her? Was this really someone speaking to her?

**"Indeed. I am speaking to you through our connection, child." **

Who are you?

**"I am Brionac, the Dragon God that sleeps within you." **

You're Brionac? These guys have been trying to get you for god knows how long. What are you doing inside of me?

She heard a giggle. **"I suppose it's a rather long story. But know this child, help is coming. Just hang in there for a little while longer. No matter what they do, these devils will not get their hands on me." **

She didn't know what was going on or what this Brionac was talking about, but she felt a wave of calmness wash over her. Brionac…why did she feel so calm now that it was here? She had been in here for so long, she hadn't heard the soothing voice of someone like this in a long time. She felt at ease, but somehow eager to walk on her own two feet, assuming she had two feet to begin with.

Hey, Brionac? What's a Dragon God?

**"I suppose you could think of me as a God. A long time ago, I put my oldest sister to slumber and rested with her in order to make sure she never rages again. But it seems that our tomb was destroyed, and the two of us were locked inside different Sacred Gears. But worry not child. I stand by you." **

What was Brionac talking about? What's a Sacred Gear?

Brionac giggled. **"You shouldn't worry about the small stuff child. Now, just rest. I give you my word that I will protect, just as you protected me." **

She protected Brionac? But when? She couldn't remember a thing?

Slowly, she felt her subconscious slipping away. She was being put to sleep again. But was this the doing of the two people on the outside, or was it because of Brionac? She didn't want to sleep. She didn't want what little freedom she had to be taken away, but it was no use. In seconds, she slipped into her dreams.

**…**

Emi stood her ground as she faced two individuals walking into the city. If she were to be completely honest with herself, she was so scared she could turn tail and run home to Satsuki. But she knew she was better than that. She didn't just waste those three days in the Fairy Court for nothing. She was stronger now…at least she hopped she was.

The city was basically deserted. Celeste and Kamiya-Sensei had used the same spell that the Assassins used to put everyone without magic in their bodies to sleep. The battlefield was the city, and their enemies were seven of the strongest exorcists to date. She wondered if she could get out of this alive.

The two figures finally stood in front of her. Though they were several tens of feet away, she could still feel how powerful they are. They removed their hoods to reveal two distinct faces. One was a boy in every definition of the word. He was smaller then Emi and the other exorcist, with short but spiky orange hair and matching chest nut eyes. He had a playful smile on his face as he looked towards her.

"Hello!" He waved. "I am Virgil. We're here to kill you!"

Emi felt her eye twitch at how straightforward he was.

"I thought Lady Karisma told you not to be so forward Virgil," The other figure removed their hood to reveal another boy. He was much older than Virgil, probably in his twenties. He had short curly silver hair and dazzling teal green eyes. He had a cool and calm demeanor about him that made Emi feel even more powerless.

"You're such a bore Xander," Virgil frowned. "You could at least let me play with her a bit before killing her. She is just a new mage after all. I just wanted to scare her a bit."

"That's not why we're here kid," Xander said. "Let's just kill her and get this over with. Lady Karisma and the others should be in position by now."

So these were two of the six Noble Knights. Emi had learned about them recently but they sounded powerful. The Paladin was the strongest exorcist currently in the ranks of the Holy Church. If everything Ryusei was true, then she was basically being manipulated by people with agendas. This isn't good.

"Let's get this started shall we?" Virgil yawned.

Emi readied herself. She had the Driver around her waist and rings on her fingers. Whatever it was they were going to throw at her, she was ready for it.

Virgil pulled out a deck of cards from a pouch on his belt and played with them for a bit. Playing cards? What could he do with those?

She wished she hadn't asked herself that question as a single card shot from the deck and cut her cheek. What the hell was happening? She didn't even see a card fly out from the deck, and yet there was a two of spades stuck in the ground and blood dripping from her cheek.

"Surprise!" Virgil smiled. "I'm a bit of a magician you see. I hope you make this fun for me."

"Quit playing with the girl you idiot," Xander sighed. "I apologize for my friend's sadistic nature. Rest assured, I will send you to paradise in peace."

What the hell was going on with her? All that they've done was shoot a card from that deck of his, and she felt so much fear running through her heart. She had never been in a fight like this. She always fought Celeste in a controlled battle arena, but this was her first time fighting by herself against opponents out to kill her.

She couldn't move. Her body was betraying her. Dammit, dammit, dammit!

"Look at her! She's cowering in her own boots!" Virgil broke out into laughter. "And here I thought she actually had potential. That Wizard Driver of hers must be for show. There's no way a little girl like her can handle the powers of a Wizard."

Emi grit her teeth and forced herself to move. This wasn't how it ends. After everything she had endured, there's no way she's going down. She wanted to stand with Ryusei as his equal, not cower in fear like the scared little girl who lost her sister.

**Driver On! **

"I…I'm not dying here," Emi forced herself to smile in the face of danger. "Not to the likes of you."

"W-What did you say?" Virgil frowned. "I'll show you little girl."

Virgil's cards began to float and circle him. She could feel it. Each of those cards were endowed with magic. All of them stopped on a dime, and pointed at her. "Take this!" All of the cards shot at her. However unlike last time, she could see the card's trajectory and angle, which meant she could dodge them easily.

Emi jumped back and placed her ring over the Driver. **Flame! Please! **Emi landed on a magic circle as it engulfed her.

"Looks like you were wrong about her Virgil," Xander crossed his arms. "She really did manage to tame those rings. This should be interesting."

"You shut your mouth Xander!" Virgil growled. "Just you watch. I'm gonna make her scream and beg for her life." Virgil had a maniacal smile on his face.

What a creep. He's just a little kid and yet he's acting so high and mighty, not to mention completely sadistic and maniacal.

Virgil clapped his hands together and all the floating cards transformed into weapons. Spears, lances, swords, hammers, etc. All kinds of weapons that Emi had never even seen before appeared out of the cards.

"This is my Sacred Gear," Virgil smirked. "The Unlimited Blade Works. Just so you know little girl, I have a lot more than one deck. It doesn't matter what you do, you can't get rid of my blades."

He had more cards he could use? This was just getting more and more difficult. She was limited on the rings and spells she could use, but Virgil practically had an unlimited supply of weapons he could use. Is it even possible to fight against this?

Emi smirked. No use thinking about it now. It was either all or nothing. She couldn't afford to be over thinking. All she had to do now was win, it was as simple as that. If she couldn't, it would mean she just needed to grow stronger.

**Firestorm! Please! **In a split second, a whirlwind of fire blasted from Emi's palm and blasted towards Virgil and Xander.

The two exorcists lunged to either side and avoided the attack. Virgil had a maniacal smile on his face as his position lowered to the point where his chin was practically touching the ground.

"Oh I'm going to enjoy this," Virgil snickered.

As scared as she was, Emi somehow found the courage to bring a smile on her face. She took a combat stance and looked towards Virgil with a smile.

"Bring it on," She said. "I'm all fired up."

**…**

"Is…Is that really Emi?" Ryusei gulped. "I've never seen her like this before."

"You'd better believe it is," Celeste crossed her arms. "Three days wasn't a lot of time, but she should be okay for awhile. Which gives us time to find Karisma Gray and end this for good."

"We can't just kill her you know," Ryusei said. "She's one of the tops of the Holy Church. If we kill her, it'll bring a lot of trouble down on us."

"What other choice do we have?" Celeste asked.

Ryusei, Kamiya-Sensei, and Celeste remained at the loft while Sensei coordinated positioning for everybody. Emi was stationed at the entrance of the city to act as a vanguard with Momo and Reina stationed behind them. The Noble Knights are a talented bunch, they wouldn't attack directly without getting a feel for their enemy. Basically, Sensei stationed Emi as bait.

While he was completely against it, but Emi was as stubborn as anyone Ryusei had ever seen. She agreed to do it since she wanted to test her strength, but he still felt guilty about it. He wanted to be on the front lines fighting, but…

"Don't even think about it," Sensei crossed her arms. "You're the most important piece on this puzzle board. If you get idiotic and go out there, they could nab you kill you on the spot."

"Yeah, wouldn't want _that_ to happen," Celeste grinned.

"Um…Sensei," Asia walked up from behind. "Shouldn't I be on the field as well?"

"You will, but not yet," Kamiya-Sensei crossed her arms. "Is Issei at his position?"

"Up in the skies of Kuoh as ordered," said Celeste. "Shouldn't the big shot be out there? It's him they want."

"Agreed," sighed Ryusei. "I should be out there Sensei. It's because of-"

"If you say it's because of you I _will _slap you," sighed Kamiya-Sensei. "Look our best card up our sleeve is you. They don't know how powerful you've become and frankly, neither do we. That's our best chance. I won't risk you getting triggered out there. Wait."

Ryusei felt hopeless. What the hell was he supposed to cooped up in here? Ryusei walked over to the edge of the loft and stared off into the direction of Emi. It was true that she had grown incredibly strong in just a few days, but her growth couldn't even begin to approach the level of the Knights. Even in the Brotherhood, he heard the tales of the brave knights who fought under the orders of the Paladin. Each one of them as strong as any Captain. Were they really going to get out of this unscathed?

He unbuckled the sword and held it in his hand, staring at it with wonder. The Sealed Sword of Fate, an ancient ceremonial weapon used to seal away a powerful Dragon God. He had learned more about it from the other Captains.

"Are you deep in thought thinking about how everything is your fault again?" Asia asked, leaning against a pillar besides him.

"You know me so well," Ryusei cracked a smirk. "I can't help it, if I hadn't come home, none of this would be happening."

"If you hadn't come home," said Asia. "Issei-San would still be missing his brother, and I wouldn't have found a new one."

He knew that was true. He realized how many people he's met since he came back who's changed his life, people who's changed him for the better, but it was still a lingering thought in his mind.

"We have movement," Celeste called out.

Ryusei and Asia joined the two by the holotable. Issei was still stationed in the skies with Momo and Reina behind Emi for support. However there was a blip on the map…

"What the hell?" asked Ryusei.

There were three new blips. While two were at the main city entrance, three new ones were circling the city.

"They're surrounding us," said Sensei. "This is bad."

"What are we going to do?" asked Ryusei. "We're outnumbered and outgunned. We'll never-"

But he was cut off by an explosion outside the loft. The force shook the building and made Ryusei tumble over. Suddenly, a pair of knives shot out from the smoke, however he was able to deflect it with his nodachi.

"Who's there!"

Floating through the smoke. It was a girl with short cherry blossom hair and matching eyes. She wore the Church's battle outfit and held a long katana. With an arrogant smirk on her face, she tossed the katana over her shoulder and walked forward.

"Nice place you got here," said the girl. "It'd be a real shame if something happens to it."

"Aren't you a quirky one," Celeste stepped forward. "Where are your buds?"

"Out killing yours" the girl smirked. "Like I'm going to do to you."

The girl threw a knife at Celeste, however she caught it perfectly in between her fingers. "Nice try."

"Get going," said Celeste.

"Like I'm going anywhere-"

"Not, talking to you," Celeste sighed.

"Are you sure about this?" asked Ryusei.

"Quite positive," Celeste smirked. "I'm itching for a fight."

"We're going," Kamiya-Sensei grabbed hold of both Ryusei and Asia and flew outside. Sensei had grown a pair of wings and flew them clear across the room and out into the skies in a split second.

"W-What the hell!" Ryusei shouted. "Since when could you fly!"

"Not important," Sensei said. "We're in a pinch. I'll call Momo and Reina."

"Switch me out with Emi," Ryusei ordered. "She's gonna have trouble fighting two off, I won't. Have her meet up with Momo and Reina to intercept the others, have Issei on standby with Asia."

"Well look at you giving out orders," Sensei smirked.

Sensei booked it and flew straight across the city and nearing the edge of town. "I won't have time to land you, think you can make it?"

"I'll be okay," Ryusei buckled the sword onto his back and cracked his neck.

"Be careful, Ryusei-Kun," said Asia.

Ryusei smiled, before Sensei dropped her grip on him, as he flew down through the skies. He could see Emi fighting off two figures, however only one of them was really fighting. She was having trouble, he could see it. She still hadn't completely controlled her powers. Well that makes two of them, he thought.

"Emi!" Ryusei shouted. "Move!"

Emi heard him last second, and Ryusei landed on the ground with a loud boom. Ryusei stood in the crater, staring at two boys. One with a hand of playing cards with several more floating around him, and another in the back, stoic and quiet.

"W-What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Momo, take Emi and meet up with Sensei," Ryusei ordered. "They're surrounding us."

In a flash, Momo appeared before them. "Are you sure about this?" she asked.

"Positive," He smirked. "I'm itching for a fight."

**…**

Hiro walked nervously behind Luka. He was still new to this world, which meant that meeting a werewolf was something he had never imagined would happen. Luka was unlike anything he had expected from a werewolf. She wasn't some ferocious creature of the night, in fact she was pretty cute, in a mischievous and weird way.

They had just left his house, however they were already in Downtown Kuoh. The city was pretty empty, to his surprise. It was a weekend, there should be hundreds of people wandering about, and yet they were the only two anywhere in sight.

"You nervous?" asked Luka.

"Somewhat, I mean I'm walking with a werewolf about to enter a a vampire den. It's not something someone can get used to," he said.

Luka giggled. "Don't worry, you will eventually. If you're friends with the Absolute Zero, I'm assuming you'd already be accustomed to the Shadow World. Weird."

"Absolute Zero?" asked Hiro. "You mean…Ryusei?"

"Yep," Luka swung her arms behind her head. "So you're really human, huh?"

"100%," said Hiro. "Did you smell something weird from me?"

"Just nervousness and anxiety," she said. "And a bit of embarrassment."

As they were walking, a loud explosion to the north entrance of town caught their attention. It definitely startled him, while Luka seemed to glance towards the direction with seriousness.

"What the hell…"

"Looks like it started," said Luka. "We'd better hurry. It won't be long now."

"Until what?" asked Hiro.

"War has started in this town," said Luka. "Everybody's being dragged into it."


End file.
